Herbert C. Smith, chairman and CEO of HC Smith Ltd. and Smith International Enterprises Ltd. in Shaker Heights, has joined the board of visitors at a prestigious West Coast business school.

Dr. Smith last month began a three-year term on the board of Claremont Graduate University's Peter F. Drucker School of Management in Claremont, Calif. The private school is known for its liberal arts emphasis in teaching business management.

Dr. Smith said he's excited to serve a school named after a longtime friend and to have the opportunity to learn from other global business leaders. School officials are equally excited about the appointment, and one said administrators hope Dr. Smith, who is black, can help recruit minority students.

"When we spoke to him on the phone, it just seemed like a natural fit," said Susan Steiner, associate vice president for research at Claremont. Dr. Steiner recommended Dr. Smith for the appointment, which was approved by the management school's dean.

A close relationship with the school's namesake helped convince Dr. Smith to accept the invitation. Claremont officials had sought Dr. Smith after being impressed by his work with the Washington, D.C.-based Executive Leadership Council and Foundation, a nonprofit network of black executives.

Dr. Smith said he first met Dr. Drucker, considered a pioneer of management theory, 22 years ago. An avid "Druckerite," Dr. Smith traveled to Dr. Drucker's California home and asked him to help with his executive education program for the steel industry.

"Peter and I have just developed and maintained this relationship for many years," Dr, Smith said. "I've learned more than I could ever imagine by working with this guy."

The visitors board takes up developing issues in management education. Dr. Smith said there will be about two meetings a year, with most of the work done by the 26 visitors through the Internet. The duties also include fund raising for the school.

HC Smith Ltd. is an executive search and consulting firm that recruits middle- and senior-level executives. Smith International is a merchandising sourcing and trading company that Dr. Smith bought in 1990 from a Hong Kong company.

Such experience is a plus when selecting a new visitor, Claremont's Dr. Steiner said, but the school also was looking for ways to improve diversity. She said Dr. Smith has helped minorities find high-level jobs through his own firm and through work at the Washington nonprofit.

"We liked his work with the Executive Council, and we feel he can help recruit students of color," Dr. Steiner said.