Larry J. Smith received his B.S. degree in Science Education in 1980 and law degree in 1993, both from the University of Memphis. He has always been interested in the environment and the outdoors. After law school, Mr. Smith worked as a community organizer for the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center in their toxics awareness program. In 1997 he went on to be the first executive director of the Wolf River for Conservancy. A local, and still thriving, river and wetland protection land trust. In 2003 he left the not-for-profit world and entered the government sector, still in the field of environmental protection. Mr. Smith headed up the Shelby County Environmental Programs office and then the Air Quality Improvement Branch. He is now the Technical Manager for Shelby County TN Air Pollution Control.