C. Douglas Smith

Mechanicsville, Virginia

Doug is the covenant agency representative for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada, and Week of Compassion. Doug is currently serving as Chair of the Heifer International Board of Directors. As such, he is also a Trustee of the Heifer International Foundation.

Professionally, he is the Executive Director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy working to "unite people of faith to build a more just and compassionate Commonwealth" on behalf of the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic communities of Virginia. The Interfaith Center advocates on a broad range of state issues including children's health, church/state, welfare reform, poverty and the working poor, tax modernization, and workers' rights.

As an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Doug has served as a pastor, a church builder, a coordinator of mission volunteers, and has been consultative staff, and at times Acting Director, with Week of Compassion, the relief and development fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since 1999. He was formerly on staff with the World Council of Churches in Geneva, and until recently was the Senior Web Strategist for the country's largest interfaith media producing organization's Internet presence, FaithandValues.com.

Doug is a graduate of James Madison University (B.S.), Lexington Theological Seminary (M.Div.), the Gem Institute of America (A.J.P.), and continues his education through various programs in Wisconsin and Virginia.

He has been involved with the Heifer International board since 1999 and is a charter member of HPI's International Agro-ecology Council. He is a member of the World Council of Churches' US Decade to Overcome Violence Committee planning events focused on reconciliation and non-violence. He is also a member of the Virginia Indigent Defense Coalition and TechRiders boards. Doug is an active participant in Rotary International.