Dennis Treacy | Senior Advisor
Dennis Treacy brings a wealth of experience to Seven Hills, with a record of distinguished leadership in Virginia government relations. He is a fellow with the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) and he chairs the Virginia Business Higher Education Council (VBHEC), an organization that promotes quality affordable higher education to develop talent for Virginia businesses.
Dennis is retired from Smithfield Foods, Inc. where he served as President of the Smithfield Foundation and Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for Smithfield Foods. In these roles, he directed numerous critical areas within the company, including government affairs, corporate communications, environmental programs, sustainability initiatives, charitable giving and the legal department.
In addition to the VBHEC, Dennis also serves or has served on dozens of state and national boards and commissions. He is a past board chair of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and a past chair of VIRGINIAforever, a unique environmental organization that has both corporate members and members from natural resource/environmental groups. Dennis is a past member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
Prior to joining Smithfield Foods in 2002, he served as director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. He also served as assistant attorney general in the natural resources section of the Virginia Attorney General’s office. He is a 2010 “Distinguished Environmental Law Graduate” from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, where he graduated in 1983. He completed his undergraduate degree in Forestry and Wildlife at Virginia Tech in 1978, and is a past Rector of its board of visitors.
Education
- Lewis & Clark Law School, 1983, J.D.
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1978, B.S.
Professional Affiliations
- Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, Past Rector
- Smithfield Foundation, Past Board Member
- Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Board Member (Past Chairman)
- VIRGINIAforever, Executive Board Member (Past Chairman)
- Chesapeake Bay Commission, Past Member
Awards & Recognition
- Recipient of Virginia Forever’s Bridgebuilder Award 2024
- Recognized by Virginia Business Magazine as Legal Elite, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Recipient of the Virginia Agribusiness Council’s 2022 Alvin W. Blaha Distinguished Service Award
- Gerald P. McCarthy Award for Leadership in Environmental Conflict Resolution (2013)
- Lewis & Clark Law School’s Distinguished Environmental Law Graduate (2010)
- Environmental Council of the States Founder’s Award (2006)
- Environment Virginia’s Environmental Legacy Award (2001)
- Elizabeth River Project’s Lighthouse Award (2001)
- Environment Virginia’s Outstanding Environmental Leader Award (2000)
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