Lightning Rod

Chu keeps active professionally, and personally in retirement

By Lindsey Capritta

New Albany resident Roderick Chu has had a wide variety of experiences throughout his life and career.

“My background is eclectic,” says Chu. “I’m a polymath. I’ve had a breadth of experiences where I have learned about myself.”

His upbringing instilled a strong work ethic in him. His family hails from China and family members have a history of traveling to the U.S. to earn a living while saving for the family back home. Shortly after World War II, Chu’s parents immigrated to the U.S., and Chu was born and raised in Queens, New York.

His mother worked with computers, which at the time was still a fairly new technology. Chu compares her career to the film Hidden Figures. His mother would sometimes bring him in to work with her, where he became familiar with early computers. He learned how to type by using IBM punch cards.

Chu’s family taught him to focus on his education and he excelled academically, skipping two grades and graduating high school at 16 years old. He attended high school at the exclusive United Nations International School in Manhattan, an international private school primarily for the children of UN employees. Chu earned a spot at the prestigious school and was part of a graduating class of only 15 students.

He attended college at a certain “school up north” – a fact that he tries to keep quiet now that he lives in central Ohio – where he completed a double major in math and physics. Chu earned his MBA from Cornell University, specializing in quantitative analysis. He developed strong managerial skills which would take him down several varied career paths.

After school, Chu worked in the Chicago area at Andersen Consulting, now Accenture, and eventually became a partner at the firm. It was the 1980s when he had one of his first big career changes when former New York Governor Mario Cuomo asked him to become Commissioner of Taxation and Finance for the New York tax department, despite having little experience with tax policy.

“I told him I don’t know anything about taxes,” Chu says. “He said to me, ‘I have a department full of people who know about taxes. I need someone who knows how to manage.’”

So, Chu moved back to New York. His career continued as he returned to education. He began serving on the board for the State University of New York and went on to become the chancellor commissioner. It was this career path that eventually lead him to Ohio, as he was next selected to be chancellor for the Ohio Board of Regents in 1998.

Chu was introduced to New Albany when one of his interviews was held in the New Albany Country Club ballroom. After years of city life and living in apartments, Chu bought his first house near the club.

He eventually brought his mother to New Albany to live with him. Both became active in the area and forged close bonds with the Asian American community here.

When it was time for Chu to retire, everyone who knew him expected the near-lifelong New Yorker to return to the city. Instead, Chu surprised them and decided to stay in New Albany. A key factor in his decision was the relationships he had formed over the years, which Chu calls an “Ohio friendliness.”

Chu’s own friendliness, in turn, has earned him praise and respect from neighbors in New Albany.

“I’ve always found Rod to be a very nice person,” says Chu’s neighbor and president of the New Albany Community Foundation, Craig Mohre. “I know he has had a distinguished career and Rod always has engaged in community service, but I know him better as a neighbor and friend.”

“Rod is a great friend and neighbor,” says Chu’s friend, and president of the National Veterans Leadership Foundation, Jim Miller. “He has a strong passion for learning, photography, good food and wine.”

Chu is a dedicated foodie and wine connoisseur, and many of his lasting relationships were formed over a good meal.

Now in retirement, Chu keeps himself busy with activities as varied and unique as his career has been. He enjoys using resources in the area such as the Idea Foundry in Franklinton.

Chu still visits New York regularly. He particularly enjoys attending the Metropolitan Opera, of which he is a club member.

In addition to leisure, Chu gives his time through board membership, most recently the Board of Trustees for BalletMet. He is involved with his church, Peace Lutheran Church in Gahanna, which taught him techniques for budgeting and finances that he is currently implementing at the ballet. It was by working within different industries and activities that allows him to implement his skills into retirement.

“There are certain specialties that need to be met,” Chu says. “While getting everything handled is what management does, it’s rewarding to connect everything.”

By Aaron Gilliam