Husband, father, lawyer, fashion plate and respected leader. Meet the Marshall University vice president known for his vision and boundless energy.
By Angela Henderson-Bentley
HQ 127 | AUTUMN 2024
One of the most popular Disney characters is Tigger, the lovably enthusiastic tiger who just can’t stop bouncing through the Hundred Acre Wood. Tigger also bounces around the campus of Marshall University in the form of H. Toney Stroud, the university’s chief legal officer and vice president of strategic initiatives and corporate relations. Stroud has been given the nickname “Tigger” by his colleagues at Marshall due to his boundless energy.
“He’s up before the rooster crows and then he’s 110 miles an hour until his battery runs low,” said Marshall University President Brad D. Smith.
Stroud’s energy is a boost for both Marshall and the City of Huntington as he channels it toward helping the area grow and prosper. As the university’s chief legal officer, Stroud advises members of the campus community on a wide range of legal and strategic matters. But he is also actively engaged in working with the university and the city in building out new capital projects, like the 4th Avenue Innovation District, and working with state, local and federal leaders to shine a spotlight on the area, bringing resources and dollars to the community.
“I refer to him as our Swiss Army knife,” Smith said. “Sometimes he’s the scissors you need, sometimes he’s the bottle opener and sometimes he’s the pen knife. He has this multifaceted ability to address whatever the task is at hand.”
For Stroud, who moved to Huntington from southern West Virginia as a child, the role is his dream job.
“It’s like a fairy tale come true for me,” he said. “I told my parents that I was going to grow up and go to Marshall. I just fell in love with the campus, and that love continues to grow. To come full circle and get to serve Marshall University, it really is like a dream come true for this little boy from southern West Virginia.”
Stroud worked at Frostop Drive-In in Huntington to put himself through Marshall, where he got a degree in business information systems.
“I was pretty good at math and science, but I quickly learned that sitting, not being able to move and doing computer programming and engineering eight hours a day was not Toney Stroud,” he said.
Still unsure about what he wanted to do, Stroud took an information technology job at an insurance company. After transitioning to a role as an insurance adjustor, he found that he enjoyed working with attorneys. At age 30, he quit his job at the insurance company, sold everything he owned and enrolled in law school, graduating from West Virginia University College of Law in 1998.
“It’s been kind of storybook from that point forward,” Stroud said. “When I’ve got my mind set on something, I’m going to get it done. That’s how I’ve made it through my life to this day.”
“Toney is someone that looks for a solution in every situation,” Smith said. “He sees the art of the possible.”
Before joining the President’s Cabinet at Marshall, Stroud served as an assistant vice president at Encova Insurance, where he had been an attorney since 2013. Prior to Encova, he was a member at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in Charleston, West Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio. Stroud has long been actively involved in the Huntington community, serving on a number of local boards, including the Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO). He also recently served as the chairman of the board of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce. One key to Stroud’s success throughout his career is his ability to build relationships.
“I’ve never been anywhere in the community or in the state where someone doesn’t know Toney,” Smith said. “He has this incredible skill at relationship building and establishing trust where people know he’s fully invested in you. I’ve often said the sign of a great leader is someone who understands people don’t care what you know until they know that you care. And everyone knows that Toney cares.”
Stroud’s track record of forming positive relationships includes the one with Smith, who hired Stroud in May 2022 after a national search.
“President Smith and Toney make an incredibly dynamic team,” said Patrick Farrell, member and former chair of the Marshall University Board of Governors. “Toney’s legal acumen and commitment to the university’s mission complement President Smith’s leadership and vision.”
Stroud and Smith agree that they complement each other, with Smith often reining in the bouncing Stroud.
“I need that person to balance me out,” Stroud said. “I’m the type of person that when you give me a task, I just take off and figure out what’s in my path when I get there. And Brad slows me down and says, ‘Toney, sometimes you have to go slow to go fast.’ He’s able to balance me and vice versa.”
As Sons of Marshall hailing from West Virginia, Stroud and Smith share a common history; but their partnership goes much deeper than that.
“We have the same aspirations for our community, our state and our university,” Smith said. “We’re kind of bonded by a common mission.”
“Brad has become one of my best and most trusted friends, whose example I try to live up to every day,” Stroud said. “We have a lot of admiration and respect for each other.”
Another important relationship in Stroud’s life is the one with his “soulmate,” his wife, Cassie.
“You have to have that special person who understands how you’re driven to support you,” Stroud said. “Sometimes I will work a lot of hours, and my wife understands that’s whom I am. But she knows I will still find time for our family.”
The couple have two daughters, Christina and Kaylie, who they adopted in 2011.
In addition to his boundless energy, Stroud is known for his love of clothes. He said he became interested in fashion at a very early age.
“When I was in first grade, I wanted to be president of the United States. I assumed that wearing a tie was a requirement. Thus, I was the only kid in the school photo wearing a tie,” he laughed.
Stroud explained that his passion for fashion escalated after college when he had more disposable income.
“I started reading and learning about the industry, the styles, the fabrics, the manufacturers. I think my style is more European. I like slimmer-fitting garments and bold windowpane patterns. I enjoy picking out fabrics and having suits made. I’m drawn to quality and bright colors. I also love dress shoes and easily have over 200 pairs.”
Smith said Stroud’s story cannot be told without mentioning his family, his faith and his service to others.
“There is nothing in Toney’s life that does not begin with serving somebody else,” Smith said.
Stroud’s personal motto is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others.”
“I like to see change. I like to serve,” Stroud said. “I really want to help whoever that next person is coming behind me.”
“Toney genuinely cares about the well-being of the Marshall University community and is always willing to go the extra mile to support the students, faculty and staff,” Farrell said. “He will undoubtedly make a lasting impact on the university and our broader community.”
“Tigger” Stroud, who turned 60 in September, has no plans to stop bouncing through the Marshall campus anytime soon.
“I haven’t even started thinking about retirement yet,” he said. “I want to continue serving at Marshall University as long as I’m making good things happen.”
