This month’s Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon will feature Carter Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (pictured). The luncheon will start at 11:30am on Friday, June 18th. The monthly luncheon is open to Chamber members and guests and includes an interesting program about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department along with door prizes, a cash drawing, and an introduction of new members.
Carter Smith is a native of Austin and has a passion for wildlife that started at an early age on the family farm and ranchlands in Gonzales, Williamson, and Edwards counties. Smith holds a wildlife management degree from Texas Tech and a master’s degree in conservation biology from Yale University. He began his professional career in 1992 as a management intern at TPWD, assisting in the Private Lands and Public Hunting programs. As a biologist, he has worked on a variety of research projects ranging from studying moose in the boreal forests of Saskatchewan on pronghorn antelope in far west Texas.
He serves on a number of conservation related boards of directors and advisory councils and was recently named an outstanding alumnus by Texas Tech and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Prior to his selection as TPWD executive director, Smith was with The Nature Conservancy of Texas, serving as state director, where he led a team that protected nearly 250,000 acres while he was director.
At Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, he is responsible for overseeing an agency of 3100 professional in 11 different divisions, including Wildlife, Law Enforcement, State Parks, Coastal Fisheries, and Inland Fisheries.
Carter and his wife, Stacy, reside in Austin.
The cost of the luncheon is $11 per person to be paid at the door. Attendees may choose to charge their meals to their personal country club account. Anyone interested in attending the luncheon is urged to RSVP to the Chamber by calling 325-646-9535 or email [email protected].