John S. Smithgall

John Smithgall is an accomplished higher education leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning student success, academic advising, partnership development and fundraising. He currently serves as the director of development for academic units at Georgia Gwinnett College, where he leads strategic giving initiatives, strengthens alumni and donor engagement, and partners with faculty and academic leaders to advance college priorities.

Before joining GGC, Smithgall served for 24 years at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), most recently as assistant dean for student success and advising in the College of Liberal Arts. In this role, he oversaw academic advising, scholarship administration, corporate partnerships and major student success initiatives that supported thousands of undergraduate students. Smithgall built and managed highly effective cross-campus and external partnerships, including articulation agreements with K–12 districts and universities, innovative career pathways in law, education and counseling, and employer collaborations such as the ROC Your Summer Internship program. He also led the development of the Liberal Arts Navigator, an innovative tool that mapped transferable skills across all RIT majors.

Smithgall is widely recognized for his ability to design and implement data-informed student success strategies, cultivate relationships with donors and alumni, and collaborate across institutional boundaries to expand opportunities for students. His career reflects a strong commitment to mentoring, inclusive practices and building programs that connect academic learning to real-world outcomes.

He is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. He holds a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Rochester and a bachelor’s degree in history from Roberts Wesleyan University.

Originally from upstate New York, Smithgall and his wife recently relocated to the Statham, Georgia area and are excited to contribute to the region’s vibrant higher education community.