By Flynn Espe

Mark Schuster has a lofty goal for Washington State University Tri-Cities and its status in the region.

“I literally want every business in the Tri-Cities to know about what we’re doing here,” he says.

It’s a fitting objective for the Richland native, Cougar alum, and former Lamb Weston executive, who joins WSU Tri-Cities this month as the director of industry connected programs. As part of his newly created position, Schuster will help oversee two industry-focused programs — the Career Center and Cougar Tracks.

The Career Center, located in the Learning Commons area of the Consolidated Information Center, serves as a campus resource for students looking to advance their hiring potential through a range of tailored services and events. The center also connects students with job, internship, and cooperative education (co-op) opportunities, which is one key area Schuster seeks to expand upon.

“We want every student in the Tri-Cities campus who wants an internship or business-related job before they graduate to get one, because internships do lead to careers,” Schuster says. “How can we best let the business community know that we have this tremendous pool of talented students who want to work for them?”

Cougar Tracks is WSU Tri-Cities’ continuing education and workforce development program, offering workshops and customized training programs — both for businesses and independent learners — aimed at equipping students with in-demand market skills that will differentiate them from other job seekers. Courses are offered in a variety of online and in-person delivery formats.

“The goal of Cougar Tracks is to really go hand-in-hand with the business community: What does the business community want and need from continuing education?” Schuster says.

Day-to-day coordination for the Career Center and Cougar Tracks programs will remain under the current leadership of John Navarro and Michelle Hrycauk Nassif, respectively.

“John and Michelle are doing amazing work in those spaces,” Schuster says. “We’ve spent time talking about what does the future look like in both those areas. There’s only upside to go, and I’m excited to be part of that.”

Prior to joining WSU Tri-Cities, Schuster spent close to 30 years working in various management and executive leadership positions at Lamb Weston, a global frozen-foods manufacturer and distributor with a strong presence in the Tri-Cities. After getting his start in factory floor management, Schuster became involved in corporate finance and sales, eventually overseeing global manufacturing and supply chain logistics as the company expanded its overseas operations.

Schuster immersed himself in one part of that global expansion during a two-and-a-half-year period from 2014 to 2016, when he helped establish and direct a new Lamb Weston manufacturing facility based in rural Inner Mongolia.

“Up to that point, I’d lived in Richland and Pullman. And then I added Shangdu, Inner Mongolia, and Beijing, China, to that list,” Schuster says. “So you never know where you’re going to end up.”

In addition to his role at Lamb Weston, Schuster recently served as a board member for the Tri-City Development Council and the Association of Washington Business, advocating business-friendly policies at the local, state, and national levels.

“He knows this area and he understands the business and industry side of things, so we’re very excited to have him,” says Kate McAteer, WSU Tri-Cities vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, noting her enthusiasm for bringing the Career Center and Cougar Tracks programs under a shared leadership structure. “We’ve got someone coming in who has led and developed successful teams in the industry.”

Schuster also comes to the Tri-Cities campus as a lifelong Cougar fan, having graduated with a business degree from the Pullman campus in 1995. During his time as a student, in which he attended WSU on an athletic scholarship, Schuster accomplished his childhood dream of playing Cougar football under former coach Mike Price before a series of injuries forced him to turn his attention to other community activities — including volunteer work with the local YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America programs.

In the three decades since his graduation, Schuster has given back to his alma mater in several capacities, leading numerous fundraising activities, athletic events, and serving as a board member and past president for the WSU Alumni Association, among other things.

“Anytime WSU knocks on my door, I’ve answered it. And that will not change,” Schuster says.

He’s also a collector of WSU history and memorabilia, some of which he proudly displays in a self-described “Coug museum” set up in his home garage.

“I do have quite a collection of WSU history going all the way back to the start, but the reason why I love to do that is because it tells the story of WSU,” Schuster says. “WSU has always had students and people involved with it who exhibit a certain amount of grit, a certain amount of, ‘Hey, we can do it — let’s get after it!’”

It’s a spirit of tenacity that continues to thrive across the WSU system, he says, including here in the Tri-Cities.

“You come to WSU Tri-Cities and see the students we have here — they’re exhibiting those same characteristics that we love as Cougs,” he says. “We’re not afraid of a challenge. We’re not afraid of working hard.”

While his aim to connect with every Tri-Cities business may be ambitious, Schuster acknowledges it’s not something he plans to accomplish all on his own, and he encourages other Cougs and community members to get involved with what’s happening on campus, noting the need for career mentors, coaches, internship providers, and more.

“I want you to have that feeling of, ‘Hey, how can I help drive the mission forward? How can I help those students right now?’” he says. “Remember what it’s like to be in those shoes and then think about how can I — as a Coug, or a Tri-Citian, or a business owner, or a business member — help that group succeed?”