Spotlights
Steve Smith
Steve Smith graduated from Grand Valley with his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science in 2007. He applied and was selected to be commissioned as an officer in the United States Coast Guard, where he later rose in rank and served for almost 10 years. Smith credits former GVSU President Thomas Haas, an honors graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy who retired as a captain in 1996, with encouraging him to persevere in pursuing his Coast Guard goals: “President Haas told me that while it will be a lot of hard work, the benefits last a lifetime.”
In addition to his Grand Valley degree, Smith has earned master’s degrees in Defense and Strategic Studies (Naval War College), Public Administration (University of Michigan), and Sport Management, Public Administration, and Sport Business (University of Michigan).
Since serving for the U.S. Coast Guard, Smith has held various management positions with Amazon, where he is currently Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Worldwide Digital Content, Advertising, and Corporate Development.
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