Rhonda Smith Ferguson An Appreciation and a Legacy

Rhonda Smith Ferguson An Appreciation and a Legacy Fearless. Limitless. Impactful CHEYENNE PARKER

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honda Smith Ferguson was an exemplary wife, mother, daughter and sister who was cherished by her family and friends. On Easter Sunday April 17th, 2022, surrounded by her loved ones, she passed away. For the past several years Rhonda courageously battled cancer, winning multiple times and living her life to its absolute fullest throughout. She kept her condition largely private and chose to lean on her faith and family to live precisely the way she wanted. She always reached out and checked in on people, no matter how busy she was.

Ferguson led her life with a “servant leadership” philosophy but always prioritized her husband and children above everything else.

Ferguson was an intentional, strategic, and captivating leader. She took pride in her connections and she loved connecting others to one another. She enjoyed lifting people up and was very supportive of their journeys. When asked to describe Ferguson’s character and morals Tamika Tremaglio, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association, said “God, family, and friends…that she made family”. Tremaglio met Ferguson at the groundbreaking Women, Influence & Power and the Law annual conference where they immediately connected and bonded over Ferguson’s hometown, Solon, Ohio. Tremaglio laughs as she recalls sitting next to Ferguson at the conference and how the two shared meaningful glances with one another, “You make eye contact with people and you know they’re on the same page with you”. The two only knew each other for a short amount of time before Ferguson invited Tremaglio’s family on a spring break trip to Aspen. At first Tremaglio didn’t take the invitation seriously stating, “You say things to people and they sound nice but you don’t think they’ll ever take you up on it”. Tremaglio went on to mention how gracious of a host the Fergusons were during the trip. From then on the two families continued to vacation with one

another many more times. Tremaglio would go on to look to Ferguson for advice and guidance to which Ferguson would respond with, “If you’re comfortable - you’re simply not growing”. When asked about Ferguson’s mentorship style Tremaglio said, “This was not lip service”, Ferguson did everything she said she would. Ferguson was constantly focused on how she could raise other people up. She was a super connector who was always looking out for people.

She took pride in serving people. Tremaglio explained that she learned her servant leadership philosophy from Ferguson and used the term, “boundarylessness”, to describe Ferguson’s Corporate Governance Institute that is set to take place in early 2023. The Rhonda Smith Ferguson Corporate Governance and Leadership Institute is designed to share ideas and best practices as well as to help develop the next generation of Black General Counsels to be at the vanguard of developments in corporate governance for their organizations.

Ferguson truly enjoyed life. Tremaglio spoke about how much she admired Ferguson for being so balanced.

Ferguson’s charmed life was full of love, laughter, adventure

responded, “She responded so warmly”.

Six months later Ferguson reached out to Savoy with what Savoy calls a “pressure test”. Savoy happily answered all of Ferguson’s questions about insurance but was certain Ferguson already knew the answers. Shortly after Ferguson presented Savoy with a job opportunity as Deputy General Counsel. The role included all of Savoy’s favorite things and she would get the opportunity to work with someone she really admired.

and unimaginable success. Tremaglio spoke about Ferguson’s impromptu weekend vacations she took with her husband, “They would go on these jaunts and seek off to Miami”. Above her career ambitions stood her unwavering commitment to family. She was immensely proud of and grateful for the beautiful life she created with them. Ferguson led her life with a “servant leadership” philosophy but always prioritized her husband and children above everything else. Tremaglio spoke about the love she witnessed between Ferguson and her husband, Clayton Ferguson, “They truly loved each other – it was wonderful to witness”.

Rhonda Smith Ferguson’s life was unbound with limitless opportunities to love, to mentor and be mentored, to experience and learn new things. April Savoy, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Allstate said, “She was good at accessing talent”. Ferguson was one of the main reasons Savoy made the decision to accept her role at Allstate. Savoy stated, “I had a tremendous amount of respect for her”. After listening to Ferguson discuss her strategic deals and how she managed her team at Union Pacific, Savoy became very impressed with her style. At the same time Ferguson was beginning her career at Allstate, Savoy was planning to leave insurance after 20 years in the industry. Knowing she could learn a lot from Ferguson, Savoy recalls reaching out to Ferguson and offering any help she may need in her new role. To Savoy’s surprise Ferguson

Savoy explained how she had known of Ferguson through a variety of professional organizations, Charting Your Own Course and Corporate Counsel Women of Color. When asked to recall her first impression of Ferguson, Savoy stated, “She had an infectious smile and a really cute giggle”. Savoy continued to talk about the genuine warmth Ferguson had and how she always made a person feel like they were the only person in the room.

Ferguson was personable and relational. She always got to the heart of an issue and was very sharp. Tonya Conley, Senior Counsel Commercial & Network at Union Pacific Railroad stated, “She would point out things that I didn’t see”. Conley spoke of Ferguson always putting talents on display and making sure opportunities were available for development and growth. She didn’t just mentor a person on the job or the politics but how to be successful anywhere.

She was always five steps ahead and taught the subtle art to others. One thing that has stuck with Conley that she learned from Ferguson was, “Always ask why, what is your endgame and how does this support that”. Conley continued to speak on Ferguson’s kindness and encouragement of failure while offering a safe space to work, express ideas, and fail. When asked to describe her fondest memory of Ferguson, Conley spoke of the times when Ferguson would pop into her office and check in on her, “She would talk about her family or weekend plans and just really share and show who she is”. Conley finished by calling Ferguson a, “Legal rockstar and so badass”.

After graduating with her Industrial Engineering degree from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University she had the most incredible and highly accomplished career. She met and exceeded every professional goal she set for herself serving as a chief legal officer, corporate vice president, philanthropic champion and board member. She left an immeasurable impact on everyone she met. To have known her was a blessing and gift. Her impact on everyone she touched is immeasurable and will be felt for years to come.v