James Smith

James Smith is an Analyst at Croatan Institute where his work touches on the intersection of finance, sustainability, and social justice. Prior to joining the Institute, James worked in the Office of Research and Development at the EPA where he helped communicate EPA research to policymakers and public audiences. At EPA, he wrote public-facing articles, and assisted with the research planning process of the Agency by coordinating alignment of the upcoming research with pressing issues such as PFAS exposure, children’s environmental health, and climate change.

While attending UNC Asheville before the EPA, James worked with the fossil fuel divestment campaign which successfully petitioned to divest a portion of the university’s endowment from holdings in fossil fuels and other ESG related concerns. He has worked closely with numerous organizations on environmental issues including the Sierra Club, Intentional Endowments Network, Divest-Invest, and the EIRIS Foundation.

In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, fly fishing, backpacking, and cooking. James holds a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Environmental Communications from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and currently lives in Durham, North Carolina.