John Smith '71

John Smith '71 graduated cum laude from Cornell College with a BA in Economics.  He received an MBA from Cornell University School of Business in 1974.  He is currently the President/CEO of CRST International, Inc. in Cedar Rapids.  In April of 2007, Smith visited with Professor Santhi Hejeebu's Managerial Economics course.

Smith has a long family legacy here at Cornell College; his grandfather and a great-aunt are alumni.  Smith currently serves on Cornell College's Board of Trustees.

Smith has served on many national trucking committees, including on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of both the American Trucking Associations, Inc. and Truckloan Carriers Association and was named the Regional Entrepreneur of the Year in 1992. 

Additionally, he has served in leadership roles with many civic organizations, including the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, the Cedar Rapids Symphony Foundation, and the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.  He is member of the Board of Trustees for Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. 

Following Smith's presentation, Michael Elledge '07 gave rave reviews, "Excellent speaker.  It was great to have a guy who knows his business inside and out."