Meet Our Partners: Libby Marking,
Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy,
National Wildlife Refuge Association

By Kathy Woodward, National Wildlife Refuge Association Friends Committee Member

When I met Libby recently, I was immediately aware of her energy and her positive attitude. As I talked with her, I was impressed with her poise and her knowledge about what is needed to enhance and improve the work of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. Keep in mind that the Refuge Association’s mission is to advocate for the National Wildlife Refuge System, an underappreciated agency within the Department of Interior! Most people can’t fathom why or how a non-profit would be the “Friends” group to a branch of the Federal Government, but Libby confidently has agreed to be part of the team that is doing just that.

Libby is uniquely qualified for her new position. Following college graduation, Libby spent a year as Research/Staff Assistant for Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), where she assisted in managing portfolios on Indian Affairs, civil rights, immigration, firearms, and religion policy. Libby subsequently became a Special Assistant in the Department of the Interior and later Advisor to the Deputy Secretary, Michael Connor. Daily work included managing briefing books, assisting on Indian Affairs, coordinating with stakeholders regarding public lands, wildlife trafficking, and increasing diversity and inclusiveness on public lands and federal land management agencies. Libby gained additional experience on the Hill as a Legislative Assistant in the office of Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) working on Indian Affairs and many partner organizations.

Libby moved into the non-profit arena as Senior Manager of Government Affairs at the National Audubon Society in 2018, where she developed and implemented advocacy strategies for Audubon’s federal conservation policy agenda. She trained and mobilized grassroots advocates around federal policy and public lands.

Libby is delighted to be working for the Refuge Association, a national organization with a smaller staff and an extensive mission.  She appreciates the collaborative manner of the staff and board, including support from former staffer Caroline Brouwer. As the staff member who coordinates with Congressional, government agencies, and many partner organizations, Libby has the credibility and skill to make good things happen. She looks forward to getting to know and working with Friends groups. Libby notes that advocacy done locally is very powerful, as the Friends members are so passionate about the local refuge and are connected to their elected officials. She is excited about creating strategic public campaigns for Friends to convey the value of refuges and the dire need for sufficient federal funding to maintain and advance the Refuge System mission. We hope you saw Libby at work on the recent Refuge Association/CORFA webinar on July 20, The Power of Having Your Member of Congress Visit Your Refuge. (In the event you missed this, please visit https://youtu.be/VVL_yr5i_mU to view a recording of the session!) 

Libby enjoys the music scene in Washington, DC, and is a casual musician herself. She is a Master Naturalist in Virginia and participates in outdoor projects such as surveying frog populations and working in native plant gardens.

In Libby Marking, we have a new ally in our National Wildlife Refuge System advocacy work.