When Shane Small started his Foster MBA after nearly a decade in the Army, he probably didn’t expect it to include a call from the governor.
In August 2026, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson appointed Small, a second-year Full-Time MBA student, to serve as the student member of the University of Washington Board of Regents. It’s a rare opportunity and a significant responsibility. The Board is the UW’s governing body, with a role in major decisions about the University’s future, including evaluating its president. Just one seat is held by a student, appointed by the governor.
For Small, who grew up in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, the appointment is part of an eventful return to Washington. He recently completed an internship with J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank and plans to join the firm’s Seattle office after graduation in 2027, beginning a new career in private banking and wealth management.
Foster School Dean Frank Hodge (left) catches up with Shane Small shortly after the news of Small’s appointment to the UW Board of Regents.
Two MBAs, two new careers
Small hasn’t made the transition from military to civilian life alone. Small’s wife, Joely Manning, is also a Foster Full-Time MBA student. The two met as undergrads at Central Washington University, participated in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), and commissioned as officers after graduation. Small served as an Infantry Officer and Manning as a Logistics Officer, with assignments that took them from Alaska to Italy and on missions and exercises throughout Europe and Africa.
After nearly a decade in the Army together, they returned to Washington, both choosing Foster for their MBAs. Now, as Small prepares for a career in finance, Manning is building on her military logistics experience to pursue a career in supply chain management.
We spoke with Small about his transition from the Army, his choice of the Foster MBA, and what he hopes to contribute as a member of the UW Board of Regents.
You spent nearly a decade in the Army before pursuing an MBA. What did you hope an MBA would help you do next?
The military teaches you invaluable skills where you are day-to-day solving problems you read about in academic textbooks: leadership problems, logistical problems, HR problems, finance problems, etc., all on top of the tactical problems your actual job requires.
An MBA helps frame and sharpen the skills and experiences you’ve developed into a business-oriented mindset, helping you transition into your next job. You learn to translate “Commander’s Intent” into “Shareholder Value.”
Why did you choose Foster?
Ultimately, I chose Foster because it is the premier MBA program in the Pacific Northwest and has unparalleled access to business and industry. You can get lost in business school rankings and lose the forest for the trees. Being able to tap into the Seattle tech scene, from startups to Microsoft, global companies like Starbucks and Boeing, or the Seattle offices of premier consulting and finance firms, is something truly unique to Foster and was a massive draw for me to come here.
How clear were you about your post-military career when you arrived at Foster?
When I arrived at Foster, I thought I knew what I wanted to do; military-to-consulting is a tried-and-true path for veterans, and I started down that journey. Then, after attending countless coffee chats, treks, career panels, and speaker series, I almost became overwhelmed by the many different paths available post-MBA at Foster.
Thankfully, the Foster Veterans Association, along with some amazing staff in Foster Career Management, held a series of events that allowed me to really distill down my passions, skills, and goals and find the perfect fit.
I think being open to change is a critical mindset every new student at Foster and UW must truly embrace. The military has a great saying: “No plan survives first contact,” meaning you can plan and plan, but life gets a vote, so be ready to embrace the journey.
Shane Small with members of the Foster Veterans Association, a community he credits with helping him navigate the transition from military service to a civilian career. From left to right: Shane Small, Nash Phillips, Gene Ahn, Gareth Farrell, Joshua Rodriguez, and Max Getler.
What opportunities have Foster and UW opened for you that you didn’t anticipate?
Not having done my undergrad at the University of Washington, I underappreciated the breadth and depth of the Husky alumni network.
Foster and UW alumni love seeing other “Dawgs” [students and alumni] succeed. They go out of their way to answer cold LinkedIn messages or emails simply because they see the big purple “UW” by my name. I knew UW was the dominant school in the area; I just never really appreciated how deep that passion was until I lived here.
You and Joely made this transition together. What has it been like to pursue your MBAs at the same time?
My wife Joely’s and my story is funny when I stop and think about it. We met in and completed undergrad together, did Army ROTC together, spent nearly a decade in the Army together, and are now pursuing MBAs at Foster together. For the first time in our lives, our careers will finally diverge upon graduation—at least at the time of writing this!
Pursuing our MBAs together has been exactly what you would expect it to be: we compete against each other on everything, celebrate the wins together, get frustrated during recruitment together, and are each other’s biggest supporters through the process. I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else, and I am happy she is by my side.
What inspired you to seek a seat on the UW Board of Regents?
I have always found myself getting involved in the organizations I am part of. From middle and high school student government, to college ROTC, and ultimately the Army, there has always been a part of me called to serve. When I saw an opportunity to apply for the UW Board of Regents, it felt like the natural evolution of my service career. With my prior career and non-traditional background, I thought I had a unique perspective to offer the position.
It’s important to take a step back and recognize all the amazing opportunities presented to us in this country, and when able, we should give back because there are people around the world who would do anything to be in our place.
After graduation, Small plans to join J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank in Seattle. For now, he is balancing his second year at Foster with a one-year term as the UW’s student Regent.
What perspective do you hope to bring to the Board?
I hope to bring a wide range of perspectives to the Board. I have been fortunate to be part of teams responsible for planning and forecasting the long-term future for large, complex organizations. I have also been blessed to have led soldiers from every walk of life. Every race, creed, and background was represented in my formations, exposing me to the hopes, dreams, and trials of today’s young adults. I hope to bring that perspective and relatability to the Board.
As a lifelong Washingtonian, what does it mean to help shape the future of UW?
Having a role in the future of the University of Washington truly means a lot to me. There is a very real chance that my future kids will attend UW, and that some policy, building, vision, etc., that I had a voice in will still be in place when they go here. It is a true full-circle moment for me coming home, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.
Looking back at the moment you decided to apply to Foster, what would you tell the version of yourself who was trying to figure out what came after the Army?
I would tell myself not to sweat the little stuff and to enjoy life as it comes! Changing careers is nerve-racking, and we tend to imagine worst-case scenarios, but those rarely happen.
Continue to enjoy life and don’t get overly focused on planning every little detail of the future!
Serving the University of Washington
Small will serve a one-year term as the student member of the UW Board of Regents. The Board consists of 11 members appointed by the governor, including one student and one faculty member. Most regents serve six-year terms; the student regent serves for one year, and the faculty regent for three.
Together, the Regents are charged with governing and stewarding the University for the benefit of present and future generations of Washingtonians.
For Small, it is a responsibility that connects where he has been with the place he chose to come home to, and an opportunity to continue serving while helping shape the future of the UW.