Jacob Smith comes to PlaceMatters after founding and running Center for Native Ecosystems, a conservation non-profit based in Denver and working across the Rocky Mountain Region.  Most recently he held the position of executive director of the Nooru Foundation, a family philanthropic foundation focusing on biodiversity conservation and education in East Africa.
 
Jacob is also the mayor of Golden, Colorado.  He was first elected to the Golden City Council in March 2005 and was elected as mayor in November 2007.  He represents Golden on the board of the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Denver Metro Mayors Caucus.  He previously served on the Golden Historic Preservation Board.
 
Jacob earned a Master’s degree in public policy from the University of Colorado and is a Bighorn Center for Public Policy Leadership Fellow.