Roosevelt University alum Maurice Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), has been named chair of the Roosevelt University Board of Trustees.
Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Roosevelt University and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He has been a member of the Roosevelt Board of Trustees since 2017.
"Roosevelt's focus to increase access to education for all has never been more important," said Smith. "I look forward to working closely with the university's committed leadership, faculty, staff, and students to build on Roosevelt's history of advancing the social justice mission through education and knowledge."
HCSC is the country's largest customer-owned health insurer, with nearly 17 million members across its health plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. As CEO, Smith is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company, including the organization's long-term growth strategy.
Throughout his nearly 28 years of service with HCSC, Smith also previously served as president of its Illinois health plan, where he was responsible for the overall financial performance, long-term growth strategy and strategic planning of Illinois' largest health insurance company. During his tenure, Smith grew the organization’s annual revenue by 35 percent.
"Maurice is an accomplished leader with a long track record of innovation. I am delighted to welcome him as chair," said Ali Malekzadeh, Roosevelt University president. "I also want to thank outgoing chair Patricia Harris for her dedication to strengthening our institution, especially through the pandemic."
Smith's three-year term will begin September 1, 2021. He succeeds Board of Trustees chair Patricia Harris, former chief global diversity officer of McDonald's Corporation. Jim Connor, chairman and CEO of Duke Realty Corporation, was elected to serve as Board of Trustees vice chair.