Why We Give – Tom Smith

Tom Smith

Thomas L. Smith has held the position of director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Natural Heritage Program (VNHP) since 1991. In this capacity, he oversees a staff of 50 dedicated biologists and natural resource managers who work to identify and manage information on Virginia's natural communities and rare plant and animal species as well as building and managing the state's Natural Area Preserve System, which contains 60 preserves and 50,580 acres.

Mr. Smith has had a long and continuing association with NatureServe and its network of natural heritage programs. In addition to serving on the NatureServe board of directors (including a term as chair from 2008 to 2010), he sat on the U.S. Section Council of NatureServe's predecessor, the Association for Biodiversity Information, from 1994 to 2001, serving on various ad-hoc committees and as its chair in 2001.

In addition to his role as an administrator, Mr. Smith has a wealth of experience working as a natural heritage field biologist, working previously as VNHP's chief biologist; director and plant ecologist of the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory, then an office of The Nature Conservancy; and plant ecologist with the Tennessee Natural Heritage Program. He received his B.S. in Environmental Biology from Juanita College in 1978, and a M.S. in Plant Ecology from Vanderbilt University in 1980.

Donate and Your Gift Will Be Matched

This video series coincides with our Donor Challenge: a generous group of supporters will match every dollar of every donation up to $75,000. A $50 donation becomes $100, $250 becomes $500, and $500 is worth $1,000! Click here to contribute to the Donor Challenge, and help NatureServe sustain the benefits we gain from a diverse and resilient natural world.