Robert Smith

About Robert Smith

Aspirational leaders search for the best methods to feel more rewarded in their career and successfully advance to the next level. They want to be leaders who transform employee engagement and stakeholder satisfaction that rewards the entire enterprise, directly impacts the bottom line, and creates career fulfillment. As a CEO during tough times, I understand the difficulties in building effective enterprise leadership teams for successful organizational effectiveness. Now, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned from more than four decades of leading including from the highest executive levels, consulting for many Fortune 500 corporations and hundreds of public and private organizations, creating award-winning community leadership programs, mentoring dozens of CEOs and rising executives, and serving on the faculty of numerous executive development programs. I’m particularly passionate about engaging enterprise-level executives in nonprofits and higher education institutions to create effective performance management, generate solutions to wicked problems, and deliver the rewards leaders want for their organizations and themselves.

Experience

1. Commissioner

   Tennessee Higher Education Commission

   Nov 2024 — Present · Nashville, TN, US

   Appointed by the Governor, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission is the state’s higher education coordinating board and is responsible for administration of the outcomes-based funding formula, approval of new academic degree programs, development of the state master plan for higher education, serving as the hub for postsecondary data analysis and research, authorization and regulation of proprietary institutions, and serving as the state approving agency for veteran education benefits. I serve on the Finance and Operations Committee and the Audit Committee.

Education

• Wichita State University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Speech Communication and Rhetoric

  1963 — 1967

• Temple University

  Ph.D., Communication Theory and Conflict Behavior

  1972 — 1977

• Ohio University

  M.A., Interpersonal Communication

  1967 — 1968

Skills

• Student Engagement
• Curriculum Development
• Event Planning
• Teaching
• Grants
• Educational Leadership
• Program Evaluation
• Editing
• Distance Learning
• Admissions
• Alumni Relations
• University Teaching
• Fundraising
• Student Leadership
• Social Media
• Staff Development
• Volunteer Management
• Training
• Career Development
• Community Outreach
• Community Development
• E-Learning
• Program Development
• Higher Education
• Diversity Training
• Student Development
• Resume Writing
• Student Financial Aid
• Student Recruiting
• Adult Education
• Conflict Resolution
• Enrollment Management
• Leadership Development
• Policy
• Nonprofits
• Career Counseling
• Public Speaking
• Workshop Facilitation
• Instructional Design
• Leadership