The Cornell College Board of Trustees has elected a new member—Nick Schwartz ’25—and reelected John Smith ’71. Both terms are three years. Jerry Ringer ’59 has been named a new Life Trustee.
Nick Schwartz ’25
Schwartz was chosen as Cornell’s 2025 Young Trustee. A native of Minnesota, Schwartz plans to pursue a career in healthcare law with a focus on expanding access and improving policy in the field.
Schwartz earned a B.A. in political science from Cornell. During his time on the Hilltop, he served as student body president, vice president, and chairperson for Academic Affairs. He also co-led the revival of The Royal Purple Yearbook after a decade-long hiatus and led efforts to increase access to free menstrual products on campus. Additionally, he contributed to several campus committees, including the Planning and Budget Committee, the Conduct and Appeals Boards, and the Curriculum Oversight Committee. Schwartz was recognized with the Clark H. McNeal Memorial Award for Academic Excellence, the Charles J. Lynch Memorial Pre-Law Award, and Cornell’s Senior Award for the Class of 2025.
John Smith ’71
Smith is Chairman of the Board at CRST The Transportation Solution, Inc., a privately held transportation and logistics company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Smith graduated from Cornell College in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business. He received his master of business administration degree from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Business in 1974. In 1983, Smith assumed leadership of his family's business, CRST International, one of the nation’s largest transportation companies. Smith has been an active member of the Cornell Board of Trustees since 2004, serving as chair from 2008–2011. He and his wife, Dyan, an honorary Cornell alumna, live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Their philanthropy and leadership support causes such as education, healthcare, economic development, and the arts.
Jerry Ringer ’59
Ringer had a successful career as an ophthalmologist in Bloomington, Illinois, before retiring in 2003.
Ringer graduated from Cornell College in 1959 with a degree in biology and went on to earn an M.D. in Ophthalmology from the University of Iowa in 1963. During his career as an ophthalmologist, he took trips to Africa to perform eye treatments and surgery. Ringer was one of the first ophthalmologists in downstate Illinois to perform outpatient surgery. Cornell has been a part of Ringer’s life since his childhood. He grew up in Mount Vernon, and his father is a Cornell alumnus. Ringer previously served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and is among the longest-serving members of Cornell’s Board of Trustees (an active member from 1980 to 2025), including as board chair from 1999–2002. He is married to Carole Ringer, an honorary Cornell alumna. The Ringers are firmly dedicated to Bloomington civic enterprises and the First Presbyterian Church and have a long-time passion for music and the arts.