Bob Smucker came to Bluffton from Orrville High School. A four-year football player, he captained the Beavers his junior and senior years, earning All Mid-Ohio League team honors as a senior. He was a guard on the grid team.
He assisted in recruiting Elbert Dubenion to Bluffton. He said that is more memorable than his personal accomplishments, since Dubenion went on to become the most honored athlete in Bluffton history and a pro football player.
While at Bluffton, Smucker was class president as a sophomore, class treasurer as a senior, Homecoming escort his last three years, business manager of the yearbook and a four year member of Varsity B.
Smucker was lobbyist at the local and national levels for many non-profit organizations as well as director of public policy for the National Mental Health Association. He is vice president for government relations at Independent Sector, a Washington, D.C., based firm that assists non-profit groups in their lobbying and organizational efforts.
His book The Nonprofit Lobbying Guide: Advocating Your Case – and Getting Results is an authoritative guide demonstrating the many ways non-profit professionals and volunteers can organize lobbying campaigns, better understand the legislative process, deal effectively with the media, communicate with legislators and develop grassroots action.
