Meet Jeff Smith
Communications Director
jeff.smith@groundworkcenter.org | (231) 499-5874
Jeff’s job is to share the many stories that make up the broad narrative of Groundwork, helping people fully understand the results and scope of our work. Jeff’s background writing about federal and state hazardous waste policy for a decade and then as editor of Traverse Magazine for two decades has given him a mix of environmental policy understanding and consumer communications experience that he looks forward to putting to use for Groundwork. Even the book Jeff wrote, Becoming Amish, is ultimately an exploration of close and cohesive community, which resonates here.
The idea that strong, healthy communities give rise to strong, healthy individuals lies at the heart of Groundwork’s mission, and Jeff looks forward to sharing the many ways our work supports that important and valuable notion.
As a devoted road cyclist, Jeff spends many hours and many miles each year pedaling the rolling hills and twisting two-lanes of his home county of Leelanau. “It’s impossible to ride through that beautiful countryside and those lovely small towns without seeing the need to create a world where economy, environment and health converge to create great lives, and that’s what Groundwork supports."