Employee Spotlight: Gary Smith

Rachel Gerner

Gary Smith, director of transit and parking, keeps traffic moving for campus events.

The Department of Transit and Parking does most of its work behind the scenes, planning for over 400 special events each year that range from 20-person meetings to 80,000-person sporting events. Director of Transit and Parking Gary Smith likes the problem-solving aspect of his role. He thinks of each new event as a puzzle.

"We had Garth Brooks on campus last year, and that was a challenge as we hadn't done an event that big," Smith said. "With football, people who come usually know where they're going to park. It's their routine. The concert was something new for everybody, so that was a unique challenge for our team to communicate the logistics. We always have those new challenges, and those are fun."

Smith is grateful to work in an administrative university position that allows him to interact with students. He sometimes wishes he was a faculty member so that he could work with students more often.

"I love working with students. That's the exciting thing here on campus that you don't get in a private industry. You may have good co-workers, but you don't have students," Smith said. "The majority that we get to work with are really sharp students. They've got good ideas. It's fun to be on a committee with them and see them light up when it's something they really enjoy doing."

Another difference between the university environment and the private sector that Smith notices is the care his department puts into each project.

"Sometimes it seems like we take a lot longer to get things done than the private industry, but we get more people involved in it. In the private industry, someone makes a decision and that's how it's going to be. Here, we spend more time collaborating and talking to the folks that are affected. We try to get the folks who actually do the work involved and ask how this change will affect them."

Smith also enjoys the benefits the university offers. Two of his children attended the U of A and used the 50% tuition discount for dependents. He mentions that he particularly loves the fact that the university matches retirement contributions up to 10%.

When asked what advice he would give to incoming university employees, Smith referenced Johnny Carson's famous quote, 'If you love what you're doing, you'll never work a day in your life.' He has found this to be true in his own career.

Beyond working with students and taking on new challenges, Smith treasures the bonds he has created with his colleagues.

"Find a job you love doing, because you're going to spend a lot of time doing it over your lifetime. Then, give it your best."

About the Employee Spotlight Series: The employee spotlight series highlights U of A faculty and staff members, the impact they have on campus and the community more broadly, and what makes the university an employer of choice for them individually. Each U of A employee plays a critical role in advancing the 150 Forward strategic priorities: advancing student success, achieving research excellence and enhancing the university's status as an employer of choice. If you have a recommendation of an employee to interview, contact Rachel Gerner at rgerner@uark.edu.