Brad is the Dean Emeritus of Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. Prior to assuming the position as Dean in 1994, he served as the first Director of the Office of Environmental Education for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. Brad also served as the Acting President of the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation in Washington, D.C., and as a Special Assistant to the EPA Administrator.

Before moving to Washington, D.C., Dean Smith was a professor of political science and environmental studies for 15 years, and the executive director of an environmental education center and nature refuge for five years.