Marc Smith is the Policy Director for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), where he directs the NWF Great Lakes water programs. He also directs wildlife conservation efforts with NWF’s state affiliate and other key organizations and stakeholders in Illinois and Ohio.
Currently, Smith is based out of the Great Lakes Regional Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he serves as a special designee on the Council of Great Lakes Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Great Lakes Compact and Agreement, and has testified on a wide range of Great Lakes, wildlife, and conservation issues before state, regional, and national government bodies including the U.S. House of Representatives, Michigan and Ohio Legislature, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Great Lakes Regional Body and Council.
Smith has assisted in the development of numerous publications while at NWF, including “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Implementation of the Great Lakes Compact”, “Protecting and Restoring the Kidneys of the Great Lakes: An Assessment of Wetland Programs in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin”, and “Conservation Management of America’s Public Lands: An Assessment and Recommendations for Progress 25 years After FLPMA.”
Prior to being Policy Director, Smith was responsible for managing NWF’s partnerships and building strong conservation networks with its state affiliates in the Great Lakes region. Before that, he directed NWF’s public lands program in the Washington D.C. office.
Before joining NWF in 2001, Smith worked for two members of Congress. Serving as Senior Legislative Assistant for the late Congressman Bruce F. Vento for over four years, Smith handled the Congressman's Natural Resources Committee responsibilities and helped manage the legislative staff. He also worked for former Congressman Robert A. Underwood as Senior Legislative Assistant focusing on environmental cleanup and military land management issues.
Smith received his B.A. in History from West Virginia University.
Smith considers his best accomplishment being the proud father of two awesome children. He spends most of his free-time enjoying the Great Lakes with his family, fly-fishing, and playing/coaching soccer. You can follow Marc Smith at http://greatlakesoutdoors.wordpress.com/ and on Twitter at @GLakesOutdoors.
