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Alys Smith’s Women Warriors Summit — which was sponsored by her and her husband Brad D. Smith’s Wing 2 Wing Foundation — drew over 700 attendees at the Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, WV to connect, learn and empower one another through workshops and presentations by guest speakers. Following a theme of “courageous conversations,” exercises and panels focused on methods and approaches to starting a dialogue when faced with challenging situations in the workplace, with friends and at home. Keynote speaker Nicole Kidman shared anecdotes of her own experiences advocating for other women and for herself throughout her career.

On September 13, 2023, online retailer Amazon announced its appointment of Brad D. Smith to its board of directors. Brad joins the board as a member of the Audit Committee and his appointment marks him as the board’s twelfth member. In the announcements, Brad is noted for his diverse and extensive experiences as an executive leader.

The 2023 West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Business Summit featured the announcement of First Ascent — a program developed through Ascend West Virginia — by Brad D. Smith and Gordon Gee. As the presidents of Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, Brad and Gordon understand the need to retain the talent coming out of local universities and, in turn, the positive impact these graduates can have on the state’s future.

Brad D. Smith participated in a panel of prominent West Virginia leaders to discuss the state’s future and prospective growth during the Almost Heaven Classic Keynote Panel, hosted by Mountaineer Media — a blog, podcast and online store dedicated to sharing the West Virginia experience. During the discussion, Brad highlighted West Virginia’s historic successes as a pioneer in numerous fields and its people’s characteristic grit and grace. He connected these sentiments to initiatives supporting the push for Appalachia’s economic development.

Created by President Brad D. Smith in 2022, Community Cares Week at Marshall University is a four-day event that brings together students, staff and Huntington locals to assist the university in tackling its “To Do List items.” Marshall recently celebrated the event’s second iteration, proudly more than doubling the volunteer attendance of the inaugural year with 726 people coming together to complete a variety of projects to improve and beautify the campus.

The Wing 2 Wing Foundation has added Rhetoric to its portfolio of supported ventures and startups. Rhetoric uses innovative technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to assist litigators in court proceedings by producing advanced, actionable insights on judges, courts and legal briefings. Founded by Luke Yingling of Ona, West Virginia, Brad D. Smith and Wing 2 Wing are proud to support a fellow Mountain State native.

In March, Brad D. Smith kicked off Marshall University’s “Marshall For All” high school tour in Wayne County, West Virginia, the county that Brad himself hails from. The tour will take Brad to high schools all across West Virginia and beyond to recognize future Marshall students and celebrate their choice to pursue higher education through the signing of academic letters of intent. Wayne High School President Sara Stapleton praised the initiative and how it gives future Marshall students “an opportunity to be recognized individually with the president and to recognize them for their efforts.” The next stop of the tour will be in Raleigh County.

Brad D. Smith joined Robert Slagel on the “My Last Name” podcast to discuss what good leadership looks like, the value in celebrating your heritage, the importance of authenticity and the grit of Appalachia’s people. “My Last Name” focuses on the successes of Appalachians and tells the stories of their accomplishments. Listen to the episode by clicking the link below.

Brad D. Smith was recently featured on a segment of the daily304’s YouTube channel called Innovators and Entrepreneurs, a bi-weekly series that shares news and opportunities pertaining to West Virginia. Brad sat down with host Andy Malinoski to discuss the recent progress and success of Ascend West Virginia and the Wing 2 Wing Foundation. Throughout the segment, Brad expanded on Ascend WV’s growth thus far and the confidence he has in its future.

In September 2022, Humana announced that Brad D. Smith was elected to the company’s Board of Directors. Brad’s impressive tenure as an executive leader, and his more recent role as President of Marshall University, bring a unique perspective to the Humana Board. Humana Chairman of the Board, Kurt J. Hilzinger, stated, “Brad’s deep operating experience and ability to innovate across all organizational layers, while also being mission and customer driven, will be vital as Humana continues to grow its core Medicare Advantage business, drive operational efficiencies, and mature and further integrate its healthcare services offerings.” Read more about Brad joining the Humana Board by clicking the link below.