Thomas A SmithAbout the Author: Thomas A. Smith is a retired coordinator and instructor in park management at West Valley College in Saratoga, California, and had over 20 years of experience as a seasonal park ranger with the National Park Service and the Santa Clra County Department of Parks and Recreation. In 1986, the County borrowed him from the College to act as an interim full-time consultant for the park system while they conducted a nationwide search for a new director. The county regional system has over 50,000 acres. For 11 years Tom served as the Director of the Region Five Recreation Academy for the United States Forest Service held at West Valley College. He started and served as director of a highly successful in-service training program for park rangers at West Valley that served agencies throughout the West Coast. Tom received the first honorary lifetime membership to the Park Rangers Association of California (PRAC), and is one of the founding fathers of the organization. In 2012, he received the President's Award from the California Association of Park and Recreation Boards and Commissioners for his contributions to parks and recreation in California. Read More Read Less