Libby Marking

Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy
lmarking@refugeassociation.org

Libby Marking serves as the Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy. Libby works closely with Congress and the Administration to promote federal conservation funding and policy affecting the National Wildlife Refuge System. She also leads the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE).

Prior to joining NWRA, Libby was the Senior Manager for Government Affairs at the National Audubon Society, leading advocacy efforts on Alaska public lands and Greater Sage-Grouse conservation. She came to Audubon from Capitol Hill, where she most recently served as a Legislative Assistant to former Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and earlier in her career was a Research Assistant to former Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota. While on the Hill she specialized in Native American policy and successfully spearheaded the first bill to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. In between her Hill positions, Libby served as a political appointee at the Department of the Interior both as an Advisor to the Deputy Secretary and as a Special Assistant to the Secretary. In these roles she helped push forward initiatives for public lands and Native American issues. She was also a Legislative Associate at a bipartisan government relations firm specializing in financial services and commerce.

Hailing from the Black Hills of South Dakota, Libby earned her BA in Global Studies and French from South Dakota State University. Libby enjoys making music, being outdoors, and sharing her homemade traditional Filipino food with friends. She also volunteers locally as a Master Naturalist, providing education and service towards good stewardship of our natural environment.