Sustainable building nonprofit Southface Institute welcomes Vice-President of Advocacy Thomas Farmer. Drawing on his local, state, and federal experience, Farmer will further strengthen Southface’s partnerships and advance advocacy initiatives that impact communities.

“At my core, I am a collaborator and relationship builder, so coming to work for an organization that strives to build bridges with developers, utilities, academia, and other nonprofits to advance sustainability is a natural fit,” said Farmer. “I am excited to be working for Southface.”

Farmer co-founded and led Second Century Ag, Georgia's first hemp processing company. Prior to that, he served for 15 years as senior policy advisor for the Georgia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where he led the successful effort to pass the 2018 Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Amendment. In addition, he worked with the Georgia congressional delegation to secure critical federal funding for high profile conservation projects like Paulding Forest and the Altamaha River corridor.

His extensive career includes roles at the Vice Presidential Advance Office, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Environmental Protection Agency, Habitat for Humanity International, and the Office of Georgia Secretary of State. He holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Texas. 

Farmer joins Southface’s advocacy team, which has decades of engagement with policymakers, regulators, civic leaders, partner organizations, and communities. Southface has:

• Worked with the Public Service Commission and Georgia Power on their Integrated Resource Plan to invest in more solar power and energy efficiency programs for Georgians with the highest energy burden.

• Helped shape responsible residential and commercial building energy codes in partnership with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and the Department of Community Affairs.

• Engaged the Associate County Commissioners of Georgia, the Georgia Municipal Association, and other local groups to promote municipal-level sustainability.

• Launched a series of workshops with the North Georgia Conservation Coalition to increase awareness of federal incentives from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act within North Georgia communities.