Jordan is a sixth generation Texan, born and raised. However, her interest in cultures,  languages, and people took her far from her roots. She graduated from the American University of Paris with a Bachelor of Science in International Economics in 1999. Wanting  more global experience, Jordan moved to Istanbul, Turkey. Living with a Turkish family,  she was immersed in local culture and language. She was employed by FinansInvest, a  Turkish brokerage firm, for which she conducted quantitative analysis on the Istanbul Stock Exchange and financial reviews of listed companies. 

In 2001, Jordan returned to the United States with plans to attend law school. Instead, she  fell in love with David Smith who was providing low-level aerial surveys on environmental and social health issues for rural communities in Central America. In 2004, Jordan and  David married and moved full-time to Costa Rica where they founded Climate Advocates  Voces Unidas (CAVU). CAVU used its unique tools of flight and film to bring people  together to solve local environmental and development issues. In Latin America, CAVU executed over fifteen community-led projects in 9 countries, with more than 100 non profit and governmental partners. From its inception until 2021 (except for a brief  sabbatical after the birth of her second daughter), Jordan served as CAVU’s Executive  Director providing strategic and financial direction for the organization and its programs. 

In 2011, Jordan and David returned to the United States with their two young daughters.  During this time, CAVU expanded its communication tools to the internet allowing it to reach a wider audience. At Jordan’s direction, CAVU took on big oil and gas in New Mexico  in the fight to curb methane pollution in a video series called UnEarthed – The Real Story of  Oil and Gas in New Mexico. CAVU had a seat at the table throughout the New Mexico regulatory process in which stringent rules were applied to this waste. Jordan was a lead strategic partner in this process. 

CAVU has received dozens of awards for its films, storytelling, and cinematography. In  2020 it won two Emmys for its multi-part series on the incredible value of Wildlife Corridors. In 2022, CAVU was inducted into the Smithsonian Institute’s Air and Space Museum for its work using flight as a tool in environmental conservation. Jordan and David  were humbled to be featured in videos and photographs in this prestigious museum. 

Still, the aerial perspective and the films were not enough. Through her children, Jordan  realized that CAVU must do more to address the climate crisis. Children across the globe are experiencing anxiety and hopelessness from the impact the warming planet is  having on their daily lives and their future. Many organizations help youth advocate and  elevate their concerns in the political arena, but very few of them provide youth with  agency in their own communities. 

Jordan, along with CAVU staff, developed a STEAM curriculum and video challenge to do just that. Thus, the Climate Innovation Challenge  was born. CIC is an educational curriculum that allows students to identify climate impacts  in their communities and help them develop solutions to combat those impacts. Within a few short years, CIC’s growth has been phenomenal. This year CIC reached 15,000 students in 28 US states and 13 countries. CAVU’s goal is to reach 100,000 students in the  next 3 years in more than 20 countries, bringing together students from across the planet  to share in their solutions. 

Jordan also directs funding from the Jordan and David Smith Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, focusing on education, the environment, and projects that support the rights of women and girls. She also serves as a director of the St. Catherines Island  Foundation, a Georgia foundation, which manages the island and its conservation,  scientific research, and archeology programs. 

Jordan and David moved to Switzerland in 2023, to provide their children with an immersive cultural and language perspective as part of their education to become global  citizens. Jordan once enjoyed proficiency in Turkish and French, is fluent in English and  Spanish, and is currently working on her Italian. She’s an avid reader, a lover of history, and enjoys creative writing. When not working, Jordan enjoys an active lifestyle hiking, skiing, biking, and weight lifting.