A lifelong educator, businessman and fund-raising professional has been hired by Bridgewater College to lead its office of institutional advancement.
Bruce D. Smith Jr., of West Chester, Pa., assumed his duties as vice president of institutional advancement at Bridgewater on Aug. 23.
“I am confident that Bruce will bring to the college what we need most at this time,” said Bridgewater President George Cornelius. “He is a strategic thinker who works out of a proactive paradigm, has a deep passion for education and has high standards and expectations. In short, he will help develop the office of institutional advancement into one of the strongest functions on campus.”
In leading the advancement team, Smith will build and strengthen the organization, develop strategies and contribute to the work of the President’s Council.
“I am immensely excited to again be part of a vibrant and committed academic environment,” Smith said. “Fostering increased engagement in the life of the institution on the part of alumni, board members, parents and friends of Bridgewater is essential to the college’s ability to provide strong academic programs and to enhance the breadth and depth of experiences available to the students.”
Smith is a native of Swarthmore, Pa., who earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va. In 1965 he joined the faculty at The Westtown School, a co-educational college-prep boarding school near Philadelphia.
In addition to teaching, he introduced computer technology to the school, developed a computer science curriculum and designed and implemented a school-wide flexible modular class schedule system.
In 1975 Smith assumed responsibility for Westtown’s development office. While in this position, in addition to his responsibility for the annual fund and capital gifts program, he designed and headed a team that implemented a computer-based alumni records and gifts database and reporting system. He also served on the long-range planning and development subcommittees for The Westtown School.
In 1982, Smith left Westtown to design and implement hardware and software solutions using microprocessor technology. He also worked at The West Company, helping to design control and monitoring systems for the company’s machinery products division.
In 1996, Smith formed Genesis Machinery Products where he served as president and director of technology. Over the next 10 years the company became a premier supplier of machinery, support and technology to the pharmaceutical industry worldwide.
Smith and his wife, Zinta, lived in West Chester, Pa., prior to moving to Bridgewater. They have two grown sons.
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