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Through their nonprofit organization, the Wing 2 Wing Foundation, Brad D. Smith and his wife Alys recently donated $60,000 to Fairfield U — a mentorship program for children and teens in the Fairfield neighborhood of Huntington. The donation will fund the program for the next two to three years, granting high school students exposure to a variety of professions and industries. In reference to the importance of the work the organization is doing, Brad supplied the following comment: “People need to see themselves in the next opportunity to believe it’s possible.”

Since taking office as Marshall University’s President in January 2022, Brad D. Smith has constantly been looking for ways to give back to the Marshall community. In response, on May 13, 2022, the university announced an exciting new initiative titled “Community Cares Week: Giving Back to the Herd.” The program, currently scheduled to take place from June 20–24, encourages all members of the #MarshallUFamily to volunteer their efforts to help improve the campus. “I’m excited to welcome volunteers to return home to our beautiful campus, work side by side and leave the place better than we found it,” Brad said.

In an article from Chamber Magazine, published by the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee spoke of the efforts and initiatives toward growing the local community. The article also discussed Gee’s partnership and friendship with Brad D. Smith, and how the two have worked together in their shared goals of developing West Virginia’s economy. Their work together has included a donation by Brad and his wife Alys to WVU to fund the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative in support of improving the Mountain State. Ascend West Virginia is the remote worker program within the collaborative, which aims to grow the population of young talent in the state.

During a Marshall University Board of Governors meeting on Thursday, October 28, it was announced that Brad D. Smith has been chosen as the University’s 38th president. Brad accepted the position saying, “As a humble son of Marshall University, I am honored to be selected to serve as the University’s 38th President. This is a privilege of a lifetime and I am looking forward to this journey.”

On a travel segment of Good Morning America aired on October 22, 2021, Brad D. Smith shared his West Virginia roots and inspiration behind the Ascend West Virginia program. The story covered how the program came to be and featured a number of chosen applicants who discussed their transition to the Mountain State.

On September 30, 2021, Marshall University announced that following a national search, Brad D. Smith has been selected as one of the five finalists being considered for the university’s 38th president. The announcement came from Marshall University’s Board of Governors who shared information on both the search process and the final candidates.

On August 27, 2021, Brad D. Smith sat down with the city of Huntington for its 150th anniversary to share some of his favorite memories and reflect on how the Huntington community helped shape him into the person he is today. As Brad states in the interview, “I was a boy from a small hometown who spent 22 years looking for a way out and every day since looking for a way home.”

Brad D. Smith wrote about the Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative (OEDC) and how West Virginia’s unique assets put the state in a great position for growth. Brad highlights important aspects of West Virginia, including the rich culture, the unique people, the natural environment, as well as four defining trends, that will help empower this program. With OEDC, Brad seeks to utilize these factors to redefine West Virginia as the new “Start-Up State.” Brad explains why the time for action is now.

Brad D. Smith continued his conversation with Patti and Milledge Hart on “The Resolutionist,” a podcast focused on the Anti-Retirement Movement. In part two of the podcast, Brad talks about how he has taken time to focus more on putting himself first since retiring from his role as CEO of Intuit. He discussed how he and his wife Alys have taken time to see the world through new lenses and how they have redefined how they identify themselves. Listen to Brad’s conversation to learn more about how he is navigating being a resolutionist.

A podcast focused on the Anti-Retirement Movement, “The Resolutionist” highlights people that have “retired” with grace and purpose and moved on to various post-career opportunities. Brad joined hosts Patti and Milledge Hart to talk about his journey at Intuit, efforts with the Wing 2 Wing Foundation and three skills Brad sees as critical to success for college graduates, current employees and Resolutionists. Check out the podcast to hear Brad’s thoughts on his post-career journey.