Principal
Washington, DC
mschmidtlein@hbstrategies.us

Meghan is an experienced strategist in the congressional appropriations process, an expertise she developed as Legislative Director to U.S. Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer. During her tenure she led the congressman’s Community Project Funding program that secured a record federal investment of $332 million for projects in his District including $20 million for the NextGen MURR research reactor at the University of Missouri. She served on Capitol Hill for ten years as a legislative staff member to senior members of Congress and two years helping to lead federal advocacy for one of the nation’s largest and top-ranked state university systems.

Meghan joined the HBS Federal team as a Principal in January 2025 and today uses her decade-plus experience of the congressional legislative and appropriations process to build successful strategies for clients that protect their interests and develop new opportunities. Meghan combines her in-depth knowledge of Capitol Hill with a skill for forming strategic relationships to create impactful policy solutions that deliver results. Her expertise spans a wide range of key areas including agriculture, appropriations, energy, infrastructure, tax, trade, and natural resources.

While Meghan managed Congressman Luetkemeyer’s legislative team, his office successfully carried out an aggressive legislative agenda, including seven pieces of legislation signed into law either as standalone bills or provisions of larger packages. Meghan earlier served in legislative positions for U.S. Representatives Sam Graves and Pete Sessions. She also served as Assistant Director of Federal Relations for the University of Missouri System that supports more than 70,000 students across four universities.

Meghan earned a dual bachelor’s in political science and psychology from the University of Missouri.