Alumni Profiles

My name is Thomas L. Smith, and I am retired, living in Scottsdale, Arizona. My last position was as Senior Vice President of Waste Management based in Houston, Texas, having retired there in 2004. I was born and raised in Lima, Ohio, and went to ONU in 1958 directly from High School. I received my BA degree in Liberal Arts in 1965, and received a BS in Business Administration in 2006. The latter years of my career were primarily focused on turnaround situations with corporations that were in trouble and in need of restructuring.

I grew up in Dayton, OH.  I was an art major (concentration in Graphic Design) and business administration minor, graduating in 2003 with my BFA. I currently reside in Queen Creek, Arizona, and I work as a high school art teacher and football coach in the J.O. Combs School District. Surprisingly, there are a number of Polar Bears living here in the desert. I guess we love this heat! I wouldn't trade the opportunities and experiences I had at ONU for anything in the world and I tell my students and players about the value of a great college experience every chance I get.