Otterbein University celebrates more than 500 graduates in the Class of 2024, who started during a pandemic and will cross the stage on Sunday, April 28. Otterbein will hold two commencement ceremonies, one for undergraduates and one for the graduate school.

UNDERGRADUATE CEREMONY

Dee Hoty ’74 is an acclaimed Broadway actress and proud graduate of Otterbein’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

A native of Lakewood, OH, Hoty discovered her talent for music and the theatre at Lakewood High School. She then attended Otterbein and after college, she received coveted apprenticeships at both the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival and the Cleveland Play House, allowing her membership into the stage actors’ union, Actors’ Equity Association.

She moved to New York in 1977 and made her Broadway debut within two years. Since then, she has earned three Tony Award nominations for her starring roles in Footloose, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, and The Will Rogers Follies. In total, she has appeared in 13 Broadway shows, including City of Angels, for which she earned an Outer Critics Circle nomination, and Me and My Girl. Her most recent Broadway appearances include Gigi and Bright Star. She also has starred on Broadway and in eight major U.S. cities as Donna in Mamma Mia!

Hoty has starred in five major U.S. National Tours, including Barnum (opposite Stacy Keach), The Will Rogers Follies, Mamma Mia!, Dr. Dolittle (opposite Tommy Tune), and as Violet in 9 to 5: The Musical. She has also appeared Off-Boadway and in many regional theaters across the country. 

Her recent film and television work includes New Amsterdam, Dickinson, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Sinner, the Julian Fellowes’ film The Chaperone, and the Charles Busch film The Sixth Reel.

Hoty has remained close to her alma mater. In 1997, Otterbein awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Arts degree. That same year, she was inducted into the Hall of Excellence of the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges.

In 2018, she was elected as a principal counselor to the governing board of the Actors’ Equity Association. Since 2020, she has served as their eastern regional vice president. She also currently volunteers as vice president for the Actors Federal Credit Union Board.

GRADUATE CEREMONY

Dwight Smith founded Sophisticated Systems, Inc., in 1990, and served as president and CEO of the Columbus company until his retirement in 2023. In addition to leading Sophisticated Systems, he has significant experience serving as a mentor to, and angel investor in, several high potential start-ups.

Sophisticated Systems provides businesses with a comprehensive set of information technology solutions ranging from technology deployments and assessments to fully outsourced managed services in areas including cloud computing and cyber security. Smith is a certified director with the National Association of Corporate Directors and holds a CERT Certificate from NACD for their Cyber Risk Oversight Program.

Sophisticated Systems was recognized as one of Inc. Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the country. IP Pathways, an Iowa-based company, purchased the company in February 2023.

Smith is a recipient of the prestigious EY (formerly Ernst & Young) Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is a Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Laureate. His board experience is extensive and includes boards of private equity backed companies, an employee stock ownership organization, and publicly traded firms. Smith currently serves on the board of Peoples Bancorp (PEBO), Rocky Brands (RCKY), global global library organization OCLC, SureImpact, Nationwide Children’s Foundation, and The Highlights Foundation. In 2022 Smith concluded 17 years of board service at State Auto Mutual Company, when the company was acquired by Liberty Mutual. He previously served on the boards of Columbus State Community College, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rev1, and Columbus Chamber of Commerce, among others. Notably, he also served as the past chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and as a member of The Columbus Foundation Governing Committee, including as the chair.

Committed philanthropists, Smith and his wife, Renée, are active in their community and are honored to be able to contribute to enhancing the lives of others. The Smiths support numerous organizations in central Ohio, including Otterbein University, and in Dwight’s hometown of Springfield, OH. Through their Donor Advised Fund, the TBTG Foundation, which was established in 2002, Dwight and Renée grant funds to a variety of nonprofits locally and in Africa, as well as provide scholarships at Columbus State Community College. The couple is passionate about supporting organizations that advance social justice, support entrepreneurship, uplift older adults, and empower and inspire youth.

They founded My Special Word, a nonprofit that teaches children about the importance of positive, encouraging, and inspiring words. In 2023, Dwight and Renée were awarded the Harrison M. Sayre Award by The Columbus Foundation.