Meghan Marino Thacker
President and Founder
Big Sky Bluewater Stratagies
Biography:
A New Orleans native with the grit of a Montanan, Meghan Thacker is the president and founder of Big Sky Bluewater Strategies. Having served Members of Congress from Louisiana and Montana, Meghan has a unique understanding of the foundation and complex history of federal laws and regulations impacting energy, environment, natural resources and tribal stakeholders from across the Mountain West to the Gulf of Mexico. She has spearheaded at least 15 changes to federal law throughout her almost 12-year Capitol Hill career. She spent five years working for Members of the Louisiana delegation where she advocated for environmental and economic recovery of the Gulf Coast following the Deepwater Horizon incident, fought for Louisiana's fair share of offshore revenue for coastal restoration, and personally expedited federal permits for several local companies.
Until opening Big Sky Bluewater in March 2020, Meghan served as Senior Policy Advisor for a western Senator and as Executive Director of the 30 member Senate Western Caucus. Meghan led enactment of legislation and policy changes that increased access to public land, improved forest health, advanced responsible energy and mining development, and implemented locally driven conservation measures. She also assisted the Senator in crafting some of the country's most complex Indian water rights settlements and in helping Tribal Nations foster their sovereignty and economic security.
After almost 12 years working in the heart of Washington, DC where Meghan met her husband and started her family, she moved home to New Orleans. In her spare time, if she is not spending time with her family or training for a marathon, she can be found planning her next hiking or fishing trip to Montana or to chase redfish in the Gulf.
In 2021, Meghan joined HBW Resources, a government and public affairs firm specializing in energy and environment advocacy as Vice President of Federal and State Affairs. For HBW, Meghan serves clients in the Gulf and western U.S. regions in federal and state affairs and issue advocacy.