“Art has always been in my blood,” says Maryland-based painter Rob Talbert.
He grew up looking over the shoulder of his dad, Neil, a watercolor landscape painter, and enjoyed taking art classes in high school and during his undergraduate years at BYU. But after completing a bachelor’s degree in university studies with emphases in English, philosophy, and Spanish in 1975, Talbert’s practical side won out. Rather than pursuing art, he opted to earn an MBA at BYU Marriott, graduating in 1977.
Even as he progressed in his business career, Talbert’s interest in art never waned. He loved visiting galleries, talking to artists, and producing the occasional art piece for his children or for a work project. But it wasn’t until 15 years ago that he decided to get serious about picking up his palette and brushes again.
Talbert was visiting his dad and, on a whim, asked for an art lesson, which his father eagerly provided. After that, “learning art became a mission for me,” he recalls. “I just could not leave it alone.” He took lessons, participated in workshops, and made trips to Texas to study with an artist he admired. Since then, Talbert has created more than 200 paintings and has become a signature member of several recognized art societies. His work, which often highlights people and scenes from the American frontier, has won awards both in the United States and abroad and has been featured in juried shows and in art publications.
Talbert credits his wife, Becky, along with his three children, their spouses, and his seven grandchildren for their encouragement and motivation—and for serving as some of his best models. “They’ve been a huge support, not just in art, but in all areas of my life. I’ve learned more from them than I ever learned from any combination of classes or work experiences,” says Talbert. “I’m deeply indebted to all of them.”
Through painting, Talbert has been schooled in perseverance. “Art is nothing more than solving a whole lot of problems,” he says. “You start off with an idea, and you immediately have to figure out how to get past one problem after another in trying to achieve it. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you don’t. It can be a difficult process, and it’s taught me some real life lessons.”
Persevering and problem solving have also been key in Talbert’s 45-year career in information systems. As he neared the end of his MBA studies, Talbert received a job offer from Arthur Andersen in Chicago with an option to work in either auditing consulting or information systems consulting. Information systems seemed “more exciting and a better fit,” he says—and he has never regretted that decision. Talbert has been an IS consultant, a vice president, and a program manager for numerous companies including Marriott International and Kentlands Corporation, a real-estate development and building firm. He has also been self-employed as a project and program manager. The most rewarding moments, he observes, have been “all the times I have been able to help people solve a problem, improve a process or a system, or bring clarity to something that is confusing.”
Since 2018, Talbert has been IT program manager for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), a 100-year-old nonprofit in Washington, DC, that administers programs that improve medical education. He leads a team of more than 100 people who are working on a multiyear project to modernize the AAMC’s 50-plus custom applications that aid medical students in every step of their journeys, from taking the MCAT to being matched for a residency. The project also includes closing down on-premises data centers and moving applications to the cloud.
“It’s my first time working for a nonprofit, and it’s very rewarding,” says Talbert. “Being able to impact the quality of medical education in the US feels vital and important. It’s wonderful to be able to contribute everything I’ve learned over the last several decades to this effort.”
