Meet Ralph Smithers - OFIC Trustee Spotlight

Ralph Smithers is the Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Relations at Encova Insurance and is an active member of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) Board of Trustees.

Smithers started with Encova Insurance right after receiving his diploma in finance and insurance at The Ohio State University.

“You never know when the seeds that you plant are going to start bearing fruit,” he said about his experience on how he was offered his first job.

Smithers learned about OFIC through the longstanding Encova and OFIC relationship. As someone who always went to public school, he was ecstatic to have the opportunity to learn about private institutions and how OFIC operated.

He was officially asked to join the board of trustees in 2020. With the height of the Covid-19 pandemic during his first years as a member, Smithers is excited to really fulfill his position now that life is becoming normal again.

“I am really honored to be a part of it,” he said. “I really welcome the opportunity to get to know my fellow trustees better and to participate in this process.”

When asked how Encova has adapted to the new hybrid format of their employers, Smithers said the company had already quite a few hybrid job positions before the pandemic.

He explained how students have adapted to the in-person and online ratio in college because of the format they are taught in. Future graduates are currently being prepared for the new work field.

A fun fact about Smithers is that he thoroughly enjoys STEM. In his free time, he likes to tinker with electronics and fly drones.

OFIC is thankful to have Ralph as a member of the Board of Trustees. To learn more about Smithers and Encova Insurance, click here.