Mark Smith specializes in helping clients strategically design legislative, budget, and regulatory strategies to meet their programmatic goals and policy priorities.  Using his policy and political expertise, Mark guides clients through the state and federal legislative process and helps them develop policy positions, establish relationships with key legislative offices and agencies, establish and access funding programs, and build and manage coalitions.

Prior to founding SPG, Mark was a Senior Policy Advisor at Environmental and Energy Consulting and Conservation Strategy Group. Before that, Mark was the Western Region Director of Public Policy for Ducks Unlimited, where he directed local, state, and federal policy and strategy for nine western states.  He previously worked as a in-house lobbyist for one of the state’s largest investor owned utilities, and represented ACEC California for 6 years as their in-house lobbyist.  He has also worked as a Legislative Director in both the California Senate and Assembly. 

Mark most recently served on the California Water Commission’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Proposition 1 to guide its implementation.  Mark has also used his deep policy expertise in his work on Propositions 84 and 1E and served in a leadership capacity on the Proposition 68 campaign, focused on securing a successful vote on this $4.1B bond.  Mark has successfully raised millions of dollars for client priorities and helped manage and win campaigns generating billions for water, natural resources, and infrastructure.

Mark graduated with an MBA from University of California, Davis’ Graduate School of Management, and a BS in Microbiology from University of California, Davis.