F. Drew Smith

Starting right after college in the early 1980s, Drew has worked in water quality, pollution prevention, and sustainability.  But even before that, as a youngster Drew was raised on a lake in the summers and the Seneca River in the Syracuse area during the school year.  His passion for water evolved into canoe racing and swimming as the captain of his swim team.  After receiving a degree in Chemistry from SUNY Geneseo, he immediately started working for a small pollution control company in Livingston County.  He traveled to all 50 states optimizing chemical processes while developing equipment that would reuse captured chemicals. 

Drew then joined Monroe County as a chemist while obtaining his graduate degree at the University of Rochester Medical Center where he studied environmental toxicology.  At Monroe County, he worked in the Department of Environmental Services’ Environmental Laboratory, Environmental Health Laboratory, Industrial Waste, Household Hazardous Waste, Stormwater, and discharge permits.  One of Drew’s projects was completing the Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Paul Road by the airport in 2012.

In addition to Genesee RiverWatch, Drew has worked with many professional organizations. He has served as the Chair of the NYWEA (New York Water Environment Association) Disinfection Task Force and Vice Chair of the Government Affairs Committee.  In 2007, he received the NYWEA’s Environmental Scientist of the Year Award.  Drew has also served on the U of R’s Environmental Health Citizens Advisory Board.  Through his work with the County, he joined Genesee RiverWatch and has served on several committees. Drew’s work with industrial waste, stormwater, and treatment plant permitting allowed him to follow his passion for water recreation and the improvement of water quality.  During his time on the Board, Genesee RiverWatch has advanced water quality projects to remove sediment, nutrients and save valuable farmland. In addition, Genesee RiverWatch has helped increase the recreational use of the river by creating access points and maps of the river.

Drew and his wife currently live in Pittsford with two adult children.  They have a total of seven children, six of which live in Monroe County.  He is currently an officer in the Knights of Columbus.  His activities include golf, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and traveling.

%d bloggers like this: