Clients benefit from Ms. Smith's 20 years of experience with government agencies at the state and federal level and her ability to find common ground between government, private industries, land owners, and environmental groups on many complex issues throughout the West. With a sophisticated understanding of how government agencies operate and enforce environmental laws, Ms. Smith counsels clients on how to operate in compliance with the complex maze of state and federal environmental laws and policies.

Ms. Smith's experience includes her recent tenure as the Executive Director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ). She led UDEQ in implementing state and federal environmental laws, working proactively with individuals, community groups, and industry. She drove key improvements in UDEQ's efficiency to provide a productive and predictable regulatory process, streamline the permitting procedure, shorten review times, and restructure regulatory boards to increase transparency between the agency and the public. Her extensive experience includes air quality, water quality, environmental response and remediation, radiation control, and solid and hazardous waste management.

Ms. Smith also served as the Energy Policy Advisor to Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, working on complex issues such as expanding Utah's energy options in light of the pressures on coal power production and the many opportunities Utah has for alternative energy. She also developed the Utah Energy Initiative, a 10-year strategic energy plan. She has worked on conservation issues regarding public lands, preservation of private lands, energy policy, water resources, and community planning.

Ms. Smith was a key advisor to former Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. in her role as Legislative Director and Rural Advisor, providing guidance on issues regarding natural resources, energy, and economic development issues throughout Utah. She also served as the Government Relations Director for the Nature Conservancy of Utah where she concentrated on public funding initiatives and conservation planning for public and private land.

Ms. Smith has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences including the Utah Bar Association, Environmental Council of the States, Energy Solutions Customer Conference, Low Level Waste Forum, and the Utah Manufacturing Annual Conference. Additionally she has presented numerous times in committee at the Utah Legislature, Testimony before the Sub-Committee on Environment of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology “Issues Regarding Background Ozone Levels,” and the United States House of Representatives Committee on Environment.