Marshall Magazine Spring 2022

PHOTO BY AUSTIN O’CONNOR

As part of officially joining the Marshall staff on Jan. 3, Brad D. Smith was presented with a Kelly green jacket by Board of Governors Chairman Patrick Farrell (right) and Vice Chairman Toney Stroud.

“When I stepped down as CEO of Intuit three years ago, it became clear what my purpose was — to return to West Virginia and make a difference. Anything I have ever accomplished in life is because someone at Marshall University invested in me. I consider it the ultimate privi lege to be able to pay that privilege forward to the next generation. This is a dream come true.” Smith’s return began in April of last year when Jerome Gilbert announced that he would be stepping down as Marshall’s president in 2022. A presidential search com mittee was formed, and more than 100 candidates from across the country applied for the position. Working with outside consultants, the committee conducted a rigorous examination of all the qualified applicants. Ultimately, the list was narrowed to five finalists who were invited to the Marshall campus to meet with university and community stakeholders. When it was announced that Smith was a finalist, numerous leaders throughout the

state were pleased to learn that a West Virginia native had made the cut. On Oct. 28, 2021, the university’s Board of Governors voted unanimously to name Smith the school’s 38th president. In doing so, the board made several historic “firsts.” Smith became the first Marshall alumnus to lead the university on a full-time basis and the first president to hail from the Huntington area. In addition, he became the first Fortune 500 CEO to lead an American university. “Brad Smith is undoubtedly the right person at the right place and at the right time to leadMarshall University as our next president,” said Patrick Farrell, chairman of the Board of Governors. “As the search concluded, we discovered there is only one Brad Smith, only one Son of Marshall and only one candidate who has been pre paring his whole life for this opportunity.” Board member Dr. Kathy D’Antoni echoed those sentiments.

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