Richard L. Bready stepped down from his position as the chair of the Roger Williams University Board of Trustees last week. The university announced on Friday, Oct. 26 that Tim Baxter filled the position of the chair after being a part of the board for eight years.

Baxter is the CEO of Samsung Electronics North America and is part of the RWU graduating class of 1983. He is the first alumnus to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees and the seventh board chair in RWU history.

“What I am looking forward to is the new development at the university,” he said in an interview with The Hawks’ Herald. “It’s been growing immensely, not just in a physical sense, but in its education program.”

Baxter said he has seen RWU prepare students for the real world, which he is excited to see continue to grow.

“I think what I am most excited about is encouraging the experiential learning that the university has done,” he said.

Baxter said when he attended the groundbreaking ceremony for SECMM, he was pleased to see the exciting work that is happening at RWU. He also commended the Providence campus for all of its “unique and innovative” accomplishments.

RWU is continuously evolving, adapting, and innovating it’s experiential learning, which is something that Baxter plans to continue.

“Two of the most important things I took away from [RWU] were the co-op programs and the internships where you can apply some of your learning,” he said reflecting on his time as a student at RWU. “But more importantly, getting a taste of collaborating with people.”

Baxter said the friendships he built at RWU were some of his fondest memories.

“Today, [some of] my best friends were my roommates in college,” he said. “Our kids are friends, we go to football games. The connections are something that’s powerful.”

This is something Baxter wants students in their senior year to remember: maintain the connections made in college. He also remembers how his senior class jumped into the pond by Stonewall Terrace before graduation and is happy to see the tradition continue with the senior fountain jump to celebrate graduating.

Baxter credits his career success to RWU and all that he learned during his time as a student. He plans to use his experiences as an executive of a large company to continue to innovate and evolve strategies within the university’s education system for changing times. As a parent of a student at RWU, Baxter is happy that his son experienced learning at RWU. He believes that the objective of of his position and his colleagues is to “cultivate and provide opportunities for students for the real world.”

He is looking forward to attending events and connecting with the current students. Baxter recalls an listening to an alum speaking at an event and being inspired to be confident and successful. He hopes to have a similar impact on current and future students are RWU.

“This university took a chance on me for four years,” he said. “I grew up here. I view this as an opportunity to give back. I’ve had success in my career and I attribute that to the learning and development that began right here.”