The Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center announced that longtime board member Chris Smith has been appointed as its new executive director.
Smith is a former Friends board president, as well, and brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership, marketing, and strategic planning to the organization, Friends said.
“With her conservation mindset and a career that has been nature-focused for the past two decades, Chris is the right person to help us elevate one of Fort Worth’s most beautiful hidden gems,” Friends Board President Linda Christie said in a statement.
Christie said the hiring comes at a “pivotal time” for the group, as it begins new long-term planning and fundraising initiatives. The nonprofit is also expanding a partnership with Nature Center Staff that will elevate both organizations’ missions and reach, she said.
Most recently, Christie was vice president of marketing communications for the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, where she led a successful rebrand following the 2020 merger with the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. The Friends said that Smith built a high-performing marketing communications department and implemented strategies that significantly advanced the organization’s brand and exceeded revenue goals.
Smith earned an MBA from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and a master’s in environmental relations from the University of North Texas. She is current member of the Women’s Policy Forum and former board president of the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
The Fort Worth Report recently profiled Smith and her longstanding connection to the Fort Worth Nature Center, highlighting her early experiences with the refuge and her passion for conservation.
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