Meet Mike Smith - by Beth Timson
Mike Smith
February 2017
Mike Smith says he’s taken to heart the message on the OLLI catalogue from several years ago: “Learn as if you’ll live forever.” And, in fact, the story of his involvement with OLLI, with wine, and with his career has been one of always continuing to take on new things. His career was with multinational company Procter & Gamble; he says, “I started in soaps” and worked into success in management and, after his first “retirement” in 2001, success as a pharmaceutical and Health Care consultant for five more years.
Mike admits that like many of us, his contact with wine in college was with Mateus and Gallo and so he didn’t much care for it. His tastes evolved, however, when he became part of a wine-buying cooperative in Michigan when his job sent him there. The hook was set when a later P&G posting in Chicago had him travel often to California; a friend took him to Napa Valley for a tour, and the process of wine-making from vineyard to fermentation to barreling engaged his interest in “the science of wine and grapes” as well as his taste.
From that time on, he combined his traveling—business and personal—with visits to wine regions. A trip to Paris was combined with stays at chateaux renowned for wine. A trip to Margaux in Bordeaux was highlighted by a visit to the exclusive vineyards and winery of Mouton Rothschild.
Mike and his wife first retired to Scottsdale, AZ, but he says that while the desert was wonderful, “the nine months of summer” were too difficult. Their three sons live in Clemmons, NC (formerly Chicago), Houston, and Colorado Springs, so they searched for a city with a good airport, good medical services, and the cultural amenities that make life enjoyable. After some experimentation, they settled in Durham.
He discovered the OLLI catalogue, and that sparked his interest. But he credits his first getting involved in OLLI from a book he read just before retirement that asked, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” and suggested pursuing subjects you had liked as a younger person but had decided not to follow up. “Science,” he thought; “I was very interested in that.” Taking science courses through OLLI has led him currently into a position on the Institutional Review Board at Duke Health and to being the multi-year Class Assistant for the OLLI Science Symposium series.
Becoming the master for the OLLI at Duke Wine Society took a bit more branching path, including a wine dinner with the NC chapter of the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine, a consultant stint with a local start-up company developing a pharmaceutical supplement from muscadine grapes, and a wine-tasting group in his own neighborhood community center that grew very large very quickly.
Mike prides himself on the learning involved in the OLLI wine tastings; he likes to take “a scholarly approach to a wine event,” he says, “and learn more than just grape varietals.” He sees these tastings as “a platform to educate someone,” and so his events always have themes, such as a recent one on “Wines for a Carolina Summer.” (Hint: he says a good choice is the Argentine wine Torrontés.)
Volunteering with OLLI has been a good choice for him, he says. He enjoys the research that is required for teaching, and he always learns new things himself. Mike left the interview, headed to the wine store to order some supplies for his next class.
Mike Smith says he’s taken to heart the message on the OLLI catalogue from several years ago: “Learn as if you’ll live forever.” And, in fact, the story of his involvement with OLLI, with wine, and with his career has been one of always continuing to take on new things. His career was with multinational company Procter & Gamble; he says, “I started in soaps” and worked into success in management and, after his first “retirement” in 2001, success as a pharmaceutical and Health Care consultant for five more years.
Mike admits that like many of us, his contact with wine in college was with Mateus and Gallo and so he didn’t much care for it. His tastes evolved, however, when he became part of a wine-buying cooperative in Michigan when his job sent him there. The hook was set when a later P&G posting in Chicago had him travel often to California; a friend took him to Napa Valley for a tour, and the process of wine-making from vineyard to fermentation to barreling engaged his interest in “the science of wine and grapes” as well as his taste.
From that time on, he combined his traveling—business and personal—with visits to wine regions. A trip to Paris was combined with stays at chateaux renowned for wine. A trip to Margaux in Bordeaux was highlighted by a visit to the exclusive vineyards and winery of Mouton Rothschild.
Mike and his wife first retired to Scottsdale, AZ, but he says that while the desert was wonderful, “the nine months of summer” were too difficult. Their three sons live in Clemmons, NC (formerly Chicago), Houston, and Colorado Springs, so they searched for a city with a good airport, good medical services, and the cultural amenities that make life enjoyable. After some experimentation, they settled in Durham.
He discovered the OLLI catalogue, and that sparked his interest. But he credits his first getting involved in OLLI from a book he read just before retirement that asked, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” and suggested pursuing subjects you had liked as a younger person but had decided not to follow up. “Science,” he thought; “I was very interested in that.” Taking science courses through OLLI has led him currently into a position on the Institutional Review Board at Duke Health and to being the multi-year Class Assistant for the OLLI Science Symposium series.
Becoming the master for the OLLI at Duke Wine Society took a bit more branching path, including a wine dinner with the NC chapter of the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine, a consultant stint with a local start-up company developing a pharmaceutical supplement from muscadine grapes, and a wine-tasting group in his own neighborhood community center that grew very large very quickly.
Mike prides himself on the learning involved in the OLLI wine tastings; he likes to take “a scholarly approach to a wine event,” he says, “and learn more than just grape varietals.” He sees these tastings as “a platform to educate someone,” and so his events always have themes, such as a recent one on “Wines for a Carolina Summer.” (Hint: he says a good choice is the Argentine wine Torrontés.)
Volunteering with OLLI has been a good choice for him, he says. He enjoys the research that is required for teaching, and he always learns new things himself. Mike left the interview, headed to the wine store to order some supplies for his next class.
Editor's Note : If you would like to show appreciation to the profiled volunteer, you can email to communications@olliatduke.org