Lions President retires to become owner of a Chick-fil-A  

^{On April 4th, Dr. Kent J. Smith announced that he will be retiring as President of Langston University after the conclusion of the Spring 2023 semester. Smith has worked in education for 30 years and was Langston University’s 16th president, serving in the position for 11 years. After retirement he plans to further his career as a Chick-fil-A franchise owner. He expresses immense love for Langston University, as well as pride for what he has been able to accomplish here but has decided to make this decision for the betterment of his family.}  

^{Some of Smith’s accomplishments included the building of the Student Success Center and developing the first campus master plan in Langston University history. He believes that over the years his mindset has evolved from dreaming of what our University can become to actually making it happen.}   

^{“We started doing things that at one point we didn’t know were possible,” Smith said. He expressed that the most fulfilling part about being president was that it gave him an opportunity to help young people pursue an education at an HBCU.}   

^{“I’m a two time HBCU graduate…my parents are HBCU graduates and so for me, this wasn’t just another job, this was a calling in terms of how do I make life better for students,” Smith said.}   

^{During his time as president, he carefully considered how each decision he was faced with would impact Langston University as a whole. He explained that not every decision can always benefit everyone and despite the administration’s dedication to being thorough, big decisions can come with scrutiny.}   

^{“I have learned you have to take the good with the bad, you have to fundamentally believe you are doing the right thing,” Smith said.}   

^{Theresa Powell, the Vice President of Operations, has known Smith for 17 years and has worked alongside him for the entirety of his career here at Langston University. She believes that the wellness of the students has remained his number one priority. “President Smith has always led with the needs of students in mind,” Powell said.}   

^{Smith shared that the most difficult part about being president was that who he is as a person is often reduced to his title. “The irony is most people don’t truly know me…if I had it my way I would want people to see how much I really care.”}  

^{Powell thinks highly of Smith’s leadership skills and feels that he will be missed by the administration. “I am confident that his contributions will continue to impact the university for many years to come…I look forward to seeing the campus master plan come to fruition over time,” Powell said.}  

^{There will be an interim president for six months to a year following Smith’s retirement. The search for a new president will begin in the fall and that president would begin working spring or summer of 2024. The campus master plan, which involves significant renovations to older buildings and the construction of new ones, will then be turned over to the new president for them to review and possibly alter. “I would encourage people to embrace change…the plan was always meant to be fluid,” Smith said.}  

^{As Smith reflects on his time as president he feels that the impact Langston University has had on him and his family is immeasurable. He has cherished the opportunity to do what he loves while raising his sons on campus.}   

^{“This is the only home that my three youngest children have ever known,” Smith said.}   

^{He is sad to be leaving Langston University but believes that it is what is best for his family. By becoming a Chick-fil-A franchise owner, Smith hopes to create generational wealth for his children and grandchildren.}  

^{“I grew up a lot like some of our students, we didn’t have much and my parents felt like education was the best way to have a better life economically,” Smith said.}   

^{He explained that even though he has been able to make a good living for himself through his career in education, he had to consider the legacy he was building for his sons.}   

^{“The day I leave Langston that income leaves my family…now I get to go and start my own business so that as young black men my sons will be able to learn first hand how to run a business and I believe that is going to help them have lifelong success,” Smith said.}   

^{Smith explained that owning a restaurant has been one of his dreams since he was in high school and seeing his dream come into fruition means a lot to him. He also feels that although working at Chick-fil-A in Omaha, Nebraska, will be different from being the president of Langston University, there are surprisingly many ways in which the two are alike.}   

^{“In a weird way it is similar to what I do today because the workforce is high schoolers and college students…out of 78 employees that I will employ, 90% of them are high school and college students. Additionally, the restaurant where I’m going is in a predominantly black and Hispanic area,” he said.}   

^{Smith hopes to use his experience working at an HBCU to aid him as he gets acclimated to a different community and group of employees. Another aspect of his new job that he values is the opportunity to buy into an online university that partners with Chick-fil-A in order to continue to positively impact the lives of the younger generation.}   

^{“As the owner, I can choose to purchase a piece where all of my employees can go to college for free, online, and that’s exciting to me,” Smith said.}  

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The Gazette serves as the student voice of Langston University. It is produced within the Department of Communication as a teaching tool and local news source for the campus community. The views and opinions expressed within are those of the writers whose names appear with the articles and do not necessarily represent the views of Langston University.