Remembering Art Rice, media exec known for his big heart and ability to see the best in everyone

It is with great sadness that AGiLE Business Media announces the passing of Arthur L. Rice III, who died Sept. 18 with his wife and three children at his side.

A third-generation publishing professional and well-known entrepreneur, Art achieved great success on many fronts, both personally and professionally. He counted among his successes his role in the September 2002 launch of AGiLE Business Media (publisher of DC Velocity), for which he served as a founder and principal investor. Throughout AGiLE’s early years, Art provided support, guidance, counsel, back-office infrastructure, and general industry acumen for the fledgling company as it brought first DC Velocity and later CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly to market.

Art began his career at Technical Publishing Co. in 1970, where he advanced through roles in sales and sales management, ultimately serving as publisher of seven different trade magazines during his 16-year tenure there. In 1987, he moved to PennWell Publishing, where he served as publisher of two of the power and energy industry’s leading brands,  Power Engineering and Electric Light & Power magazines. While there, he was also instrumental in the creation and launch of PowerGen, which remains the world’s largest power-generation trade show today. 

Art’s first “retirement” came in 1994, but he quickly found himself back in the business, serving as the chairman of Applied Technology Media, which he helped co-found and run for many more years.

Publishing was not his only passion. A native of Barrington, Illinois, Art served his local community as a Trustee for Cuba Township and the North Barrington Area Association, and was heavily involved in the Community Church of Barrington. He was an ardent supporter of his alma mater, Barrington High School, and was active in the volunteer nonprofit Citizens for Conservation during the group’s early years. 

At its core, Art’s success was rooted in his unshakable optimism and deep-seated faith in humanity. As his formal obituary noted, “He was a positive spirit and an optimist who always saw the best in people. Art believed that there was good in everyone and would be there to support those who needed it. He could strike up a conversation with any stranger and quickly find common ground. Art was a people person and loved connecting.”

Art always preferred to see people smiling—so much so that when they weren’t, he would go out of his way to change that. Oftentimes that meant handing out “Smiley Face” cookies, with his signature comment: “Smile, it looks good on you.”

For those seeking to pay tribute to Art—and the kindness that will perhaps be his most enduring legacy—his family offered a simple suggestion: “In all your days ahead, as you remember Art, please be kind, say hello to someone new, pay it forward, tip more than you normally would, and smile … because it looks good on you.”