President of Blue Vista Ventures Presented with Clemson’s Distinguished Service Award

CLEMSON, South Carolina – The president of Blue Vista Ventures LLC, Greg Smith of Alpharetta, is being honored by the Clemson Alumni Association with the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor that the association bestows on former Clemson Tigers.

Smith graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1984 and in 1988 received his master’s in international business from the University of South Carolina.

Since graduation, Smith has dedicated his time and treasures to helping move Clemson forward. He served as the first chair of the Advisory Board for the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and led the effort to unite alumni from the various colleges at Clemson University to raise money and drive entrepreneurship initiatives through a program called Spiro Fellows. Since 2015, he has volunteered his time to teach a non-paid entrepreneurship class at Clemson, “How to Start a Start-Up,” (ENTR 1090) and is an active member of the Board of Visitors. Smith is a major donor to the Clemson golf program and IPTAY and serves on the Golf Paws Advisory Board.

Smith was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Advectis Inc., a company that pioneered the processing of mortgage loans electronically, leading to dramatic efficiency improvements to the overall mortgage process. After selling this business to Xerox, Smith undertook the role of vice president and general manager of Xerox Mortgage Services. Today, Smith is the president of Blue Vista Ventures LLC, a company specializing in the investments of early-stage and start-up technology companies. Smith was credited with leading change within the mortgage industry to drive paper out of the process and lead the industry from an era of pure paper to an era of electronic mortgages. For his accomplishments, Smith was the recipient of the Steve Fraser Visionary Award in 2008, a lifetime achievement award in mortgage technology given by Mortgage Technology Magazine.

In her letter of support, long-time volunteer and donor Margaret Bond states, “[Smith] clearly recognizes the impact the university has had on his life and career. He is aggressive in giving back to his alma mater through service and financial support. By serving on and chairing academic and athletic boards, teaching classes and fundraising, Greg intentionally stays connected and engaged. His level of commitment to Clemson most certainly serves as a role model for others.”

The prestigious Clemson Alumni Distinguished Service Award is based on three main criteria: personal and professional accomplishments; dedication and service to Clemson University; and devotion to community and public service. Members of the Clemson family nominate potential winners, who are then selected by the Clemson Alumni Association as outstanding alumni, public servants and examples to others.

Smith and his wife, Carol, live in Alpharetta and have three grown children, Aaron, Sarah Veach, and Audrey.

The Clemson Alumni Association, an open-membership, nonprofit organization since its inception in 1896, connects members of the more than 156,000-strong Clemson Family, inspiring pride, celebrating achievement, providing service and strengthening relationships with Clemson University and with each other. For more information, visit Clemson.edu/alumni.