Carter Smith

Asido Partner

An avid bird and big-game hunter, fisherman, and general outdoors enthusiast, Carter Smith’s Texas roots run deep but he’s no stranger to the national scene. After decades spent conserving his home state’s natural treasures, he’s turned his attention to the world of biological solutions for American farmers at Asido.

Carter also serves as a partner and managing member of S2S Holdings, his family’s agricultural, oil and gas, and real estate investment company. He uses Asido’s products, naturally.

Carter formerly served for 15 years as the Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), an agency that manages state parks, inland and coastal fisheries, wildlife management, law enforcement, fishing/hunting/boating, and outdoor education/outreach. He was particularly active in private lands conservation, state park funding, acquisition of additional state park and wildlife management areas, Children in Nature initiatives, myriad fish and wildlife conservation issues, and coordinating the state’s conservation response and investments along the Gulf Coast following the Deepwater Horizon Incident. In addition, he worked closely with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to leverage significant private philanthropy with public resources to advance state fish, wildlife, and park related conservation priorities.

Prior to his role at TPWD, Smith was the Texas State Director for The Nature Conservancy, where he led the Texas team in protecting important habitats in areas like the Devils River, the Edwards Aquifer, the Laguna Madre and the Davis Mountains.

A native of Central Texas, with degrees from Texas Tech University and Yale University, Carter has served on numerous conservation-related boards and advisory councils, including as Chairman of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and President of the Southeastern and Western Associations of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. He is a member of the Texas Order of St. Hubertus, the Boone & Crockett Club and a lifetime member of the Texas Bighorn Society, the Dallas Safari Club and the Houston Safari Club. He currently serves as a board member of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust Foundation and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. 

Carter was named an outstanding alumnus at Yale and Texas Tech, and has been honored by the Texas Wildlife Association, the Audubon Society, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, the Harvey Weil Foundation, and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for lifetime achievement in conserving fish, wildlife and natural resources for the public trust.

Smith sits on the boards of directors of Jefferson Bank and AgriCapture, and serves in an advisory capacity to Lee and Ramona Bass on various conservation, wildlife and land-related matters. He resides in Austin with his wife, Stacy, and their son, Ryland. They attend Woodlawn Baptist Church and are active in managing and enjoying their farm and ranch holdings in the Hill Country, north Texas and in central California.

Meet the rest of the team.