Speaker

Meredith Martino is the Executive Director of Women in Government, a national non-profit, non-partisan organization that convenes state legislators and stakeholder experts with broad perspectives and experiences to amplify the work of female lawmakers. In her role as Executive Director, Meredith oversees the strategic direction, budget and staff of the foundation. Under her leadership, the organization approved its first strategic plan in October 2021 and is expanding the content and programming it brings to legislators to cover three broad topics: Access to Healthcare, Resilient Communities and Strong Economies.

Prior to joining Women in Government, Meredith spent 17+ years at the American Association of Port Authorities, most recently as its Vice President of Membership and Sponsorship. In her role at AAPA, the industry trade association for public port authorities throughout the Western Hemisphere, she created and refined revenue streams for the Association, including the Premier Partner sponsorship program. She was responsible for the overall planning and execution of AAPA's Annual Convention, a $1M event that attracts 500-600 maritime industry executives and solution providers. She led a major revision of the Association’s governance structure in 2020 and created a new dues structure for U.S. corporate members that was adopted in 2021. Her previous roles at AAPA included Chief Engagement Officer; Director of Publications, Digital Media and Technology; and Director of Environmental Policy.

Before joining AAPA, Meredith led grassroots efforts for the U.S. Travel Association (then-U.S. Travel Industry Association), helping U.S. travel and tourism suppliers strengthen federal support for increasing travel to and within the United States.

Meredith began her career in the United States Senate, working initially for Senator John Glenn’s (D-OH) Government Affairs Committee staff. During the final two years of the Senator’s political career, she was responsible for sending the Senator’s relevant Committee files and work products to the National Archives. She then worked for Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), assisting senior legislative staff on transportation, energy, forestry and environmental issues.

While working in the Senate, Meredith completed her master’s degree in political management at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, with a focus in lobbying. Meredith earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College, in conjunction with the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

Originally a native of northern Kentucky, Meredith currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her two children – Claudia and Louis – and her rescue dog Bailey. She is a Washington Nationals baseball season plan holder and plays weekly recreational volleyball. She loves to read and listen to audiobooks, and she plays handbells in her church handbell choir.