At the Starting Line: Rich Péwé, ’88
Written by Doug Goodnough
This article is part two of four in The Leadership Game series, published in the spring 2024 edition of Arete.
In an ideal world, Rich Péwé, ’88, would have been a basketball player at Hillsdale College.
The standout Olivet High School athlete enjoyed playing basketball and baseball as a youth, but also knew he had talent as a distance runner and was being recruited by Hillsdale in that sport.
Undeterred, Péwé decided to try out for the Chargers basketball team and thought he had a pretty good workout for then-head coach Rod Halstad. It was a pleasant conversation, but Péwé’s father finally asked Halstad about the possibility of his son receiving a basketball scholarship.
“No. He can play for me, but I don’t have any money for him,” Péwé said of Halstad’s candid answer.
Why not?
“He can’t guard off the dribble, he can’t jump, and he’s too skinny.”
However, there was scholarship money–and a role–waiting for Péwé in track and field and cross country. He quickly changed his focus to become a key contributor for the Chargers as a runner. A member of several championship teams, the eventual team captain had a standout running career and was known as a model of consistency, a tireless worker, and a valued teammate.
Many years later, as the College’s Chief Administrative Officer, he is known for many of those same qualities as he goes about his daily duties as a senior leader.
Each day, Péwé is running a “race” of sorts. He is responsible for helping develop and execute institutional strategy, as well as promote staff development and culture. It’s a big job, and much like his college days, when he steps to the starting line, he is trying to run the best race he can for himself and his team.
“I never get too high or too low,” he said. “But I think that sports help you. Every day is kind of a challenge. It’s fun. You never know what’s going to come at you.”
Unlike other high-profile sports, running is often away from the crowds, and the training is a lot of grueling hours on back roads involving a lot of personal sacrifice and commitment. It’s that kind of endurance that Péwé said he leans on often in his current role. And he is looking for many of those qualities when interviewing potential new College employees.
“If you are going to hire anybody, are they going to be able to endure the mistakes and the things that they’ve got to get over, keep their heads up, and keep going?” said Péwé, who personally interviews all final candidates at the College before a job offer is made. “Yes, I do spend time with people, because culture matters. And to sustain the College, we have to make sure that people are committed to its purposes.”
Péwé has been instrumental in overseeing the unprecedented renovation and expansion of Hillsdale’s campus. Off-campus projects such as the Rockwell Lake Lodge and the Halter Shooting Sports Education Center were also completed under his watch. Péwé also assists Hillsdale President Dr. Larry Arnn with the economical operation of the College, including personnel.
Péwé takes pride in his current teammates and understands his role on the College team.
“We like to be able to take on as much as we can handle. I enjoy that,” Péwé said. “I think the accountability is the number one thing. But it also shows you all the time that you can’t do anything alone. Your teammates have to pick you up. You can’t succeed without great people beside you.”
Péwé said he often would get “butterflies” at the starting line before every race. He said that anticipation of the competition remains, but in a different form.
“There are those butterflies and nerves you just have to overcome,” said Péwé, who believes athletics help manage those feelings. “You just have to harness it. Competing is actually something that is good for us. Dig in, get it done, grind it out, doing the best job that you can. That’s something that shapes people.”
And what about the role of athletics at Hillsdale College?
“Improving hearts and minds is the reason why athletics exists,” Péwé said, referencing the College’s mission statement. “It’s a great incubator for all the things we’re talking about. We want to win championships. We want to be great. You can’t be great without great people and a great mission, and we’re blessed with both at Hillsdale.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s senior director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.