Volunteer spotlight: Rich Smalling

Editor's Note: We are regularly profiling university volunteers. This series explores who these dedicated Hokies are and what motivates them to give back. To submit someone for consideration, please contact Brenda Walker, strategic volunteer initiatives executive director, at brendaw24@vt.edu.

What is your favorite area of Virginia Tech to support? How do you support this area? 

I have a soft spot for the College of Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering. We also have two daughters who are engineers, so we want to support women in engineering.

What programs, initiatives, or committees are you especially passionate about?

I’m passionate about launching the Leadership Council of Boards at Virginia Tech. The council is made up of the chairs of each of the 15 university-level advisory boards. Our purpose is to draw on the wisdom and capabilities of engaged volunteers to help our leadership address the complex challenges facing the university. We work together to elevate the capabilities of each advisory board, learn more about the issues and opportunities facing Virginia Tech, and search for ways to encourage collaboration and alignment. We're off to a great start and I could see this council becoming an indispensable asset for Virginia Tech.

How does volunteering connect with your personal values or life goals?

I didn’t know the Virginia Tech motto when I arrived on campus, and I’ve since realized that Ut Prosim was a value that my parents held dear and that I try to live my life by. On the council, we want to approach our work through the lens of service: How can we help each other and the university’s stakeholders? My personal purpose is to encourage thriving and to be of service to others. Volunteering, whether at Virginia Tech or elsewhere, is an impactful and personal way of being true to that purpose. Much is required from everyone to whom much has been given.

What is your current occupation, and what does your role involve?

I retired at the end of 2019. For me, retirement means having five jobs I love to do instead of one job I have to do. My rule is that I need to stop doing a job if it starts feeling like work. My purpose is to use my resources to help other people thrive. My current roles include volunteering with Virginia Tech and the University of Michigan, helping a nonprofit that encourages collaboration (Austin Together), being on a few boards, mentoring, consulting, and writing.

How has your professional background contributed to your role as a university volunteer?

When I became responsible for an organization, I realized quickly that I didn’t know enough about how to motivate and develop people. Virginia Tech prepared me with valuable technical skills and problem solving, and not enough about building a team and resolving conflict. I read a lot, experimented a lot, and connected to the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan. In the end, I wrote a book about what I wish I knew when I became the leader of an organization. I bring those experiences to my volunteer work, and I encourage university leaders to consider providing more relationship building skills to all students so they are better equipped in today’s workforce.

How did your time at Virginia Tech prepare you for your professional role?

When I applied to the College of Engineering, I knew nothing about what engineers did. It turns out that engineers are pretty good problem solvers. In fact, some of us have a hard time getting out of problem solving mode, and many of us skip the celebration of a win to move onto the next problem. And one thing's for sure — there are plenty of problems out there to be solved. Engineering taught me about how to solve problems, quickly, with data, creativity, and an open mind. I never encouraged our daughters to be engineers — I just said that it was a pretty good degree to start a career with. I never would have predicted that they both would choose engineering.

What’s one thing you wish you had known as a student that would have helped you in your career?

One thing? I wrote a 300 page note to my younger self about what I wish I had known, so one thing is a tall ask. Looking back, there's one thing that we always have control over that impacts our happiness and success — that's ourselves. I've been amazed that more people aren't introspective and always trying to discover this magical being inside their own skin. There are some things about me that haven't changed, and I hope to hold onto and develop those forever. There are plenty of other things that I'm working on — some with more success than others. I figure I've got about a quarter of a tank left and I hope to keep trying to make this car run a little better until that tank is empty.

What’s the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken, or what’s next on your travel bucket list?

Last year we went to Mongolia for Naadam which is their annual festival – it’s basically their national Olympics and focuses on three traditional games tied to the country’s nomadic history: horse racing, wrestling and archery. The country is about 2.5x the size of Texas but with only 3.5 million people – half of whom live in the capital city. The people were friendly and happy to share their way of life. The vastness of the country was apparent in the Gobi Desert with some of the best conditions for star gazing.

What’s the last book you read, or a show you’re currently binge-watching?

I’m loving a French TV show on PBS called Astrid about a heartwarming partnership between a gritty police detective and a young woman with Asperger’s who works in the criminal records department of the Paris police. I’ve also got multiple books going at any one time – right now I’m reading a lot about artificial intelligence, and I loved the Thursday Murder Club series.