Mark Smith

Roles: Panelist

Mark P. Smith is the deputy director of The Nature Conservancy’s North America Water program. In this role he works with Conservancy staff and partners across North America to demonstrate how environmental sustainability can be integrated into the everyday decisions of water and land managers.

Mark’s career has focused on improving public policy and bringing applied science into public and private decision-making. In addition to serving as deputy director, Mark co-leads the North America Risk Reduction and Resilience strategy that focuses on mainstreaming the use of nature-based solutions in flood and storm management. This work focuses on managing floodplains and coastal areas in ways the reduce risk, protect the environment, and enhance the livability of communities. Previously, Mark focused much of his work on helping states improve their water management programs by more systematically protecting environmental flows while continuing to provide clean and reliable water for people.

Prior to joining the Conservancy, Mark spent six years as director of water policy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where he focused on building a statewide watershed management program. Before his career in state government, he spent six years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Boston as project manager for the Casco Bay Estuary Project—part of the EPA’s National Estuary Program.

Mark earned a master’s degree in urban and environmental policy from Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He and his family live just outside of Boston, Massachusetts.