Raymond D. Smoot, Jr. is Chief Executive Officer Emeritus of the Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. where he was responsible for management of assets and real estate development in excess of $1.3 billion including the university’s endowment, the Virginia Tech corporate Research Center, and the Hotel Roanoke. He previously held several vice presidential posts at Virginia Tech, most recently serving as Vice President for Administration and Treasurer. He also served as a graduate research assistant at The Ohio State University and as a legislative assistant in the Ohio House of Representative and Ohio Senate.

 Dr. Smoot is a native of Lynchburg, Virginia and earned  bachelor and master’s degrees at Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.

 Dr. Smoot is active in business and community affairs, having served as Chairman and director of Atlantic Union Bankshares (a regional bank), director, executive committee member, and finance committee chair of Carilion Clinic, and a director of RGC Resources.  He is a founding and continuing director of the Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and has served as Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Virginia Retirement System, one of the nation’s largest pension funds. Dr. Smoot was recognized by the Association of University Research Parks as recipient of its National Community Leadership Award, by Junior Achievement as a member of the Western Virginia Business Hall of Fame, and by the Virginia/West Virginia Multiple Sclerosis Association with its Silver Hope Award. Dr. Smoot is Chair of the investment committee of the Association of Public Universities and an investment committee member of the Inter-American Dialogue and Carilion Clinic.

Dr. Smoot joined the Commonwealth Transportation Board in 2018 and became Vice Chair in 2025.