Matt Mead

Matt Mead
Name	Matthew H. Mead
Birth date	1962-03-11
Birth place	Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Wyoming College of Law
Occupation	Attorney, Politician
Party	Republican Party (United States)
Offices	32nd Governor of Wyoming
Term start	2011
Term end	2019

Matt Mead

Matthew H. Mead is an American attorney and politician who served as the 32nd Governor of Wyoming from 2011 to 2019. He previously held the office of United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming and ran for federal and state positions within the Republican Party (United States), participating in statewide policy debates involving energy industry stakeholders, environmental law matters, and state judiciary appointments.

Early life and education

Mead was born in Racine, Wisconsin, and raised in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he was immersed in communities connected to Teton County, Wyoming, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Grand Teton National Park, and the National Park Service. He graduated from local schools and attended University of Wyoming, where he earned degrees from the University of Wyoming College of Law and participated in activities linked to Wyoming Senate and regional legal clinics. During his formative years he engaged with civic organizations such as the Wyoming Business Alliance and local chapters of the Boy Scouts of America.

Legal and professional career

Mead served as an attorney in private practice with ties to firms that litigated matters before the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and administrative bodies including the Environmental Protection Agency on state-related issues. He was appointed by President George W. Bush as the United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming, prosecuting federal cases that involved coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Land Management. His tenure placed him in contact with officials from the U.S. Attorney General's office and state prosecutors from the Wyoming Attorney General's office. After serving as U.S. Attorney, he returned to private practice, representing clients before the Wyoming Supreme Court and agencies including the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Political career

Mead's political activities included appointment and campaign roles within the Republican National Committee framework and connections to figures such as Mike Enzi, John Barrasso, Liz Cheney, and Cynthia Lummis. He ran for governor in 2010, competing in a Republican primary that included candidates associated with the Wyoming State Legislature, Natrona County, and former U.S. House of Representatives members. His campaigns engaged with policy stakeholders including the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Petroleum Association, and statewide newspapers such as the Casper Star-Tribune and the Jackson Hole News&Guide.

Tenure as Governor of Wyoming

As governor, Mead oversaw executive interactions with entities such as the Wyoming Legislature, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the Wyoming Department of Education, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. His administration navigated issues involving the Powder River Basin coal region, opportunities with Natural gas producers, and regulatory matters tied to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. He signed legislation affecting taxation and budget matters deliberated by the Wyoming Senate and the Wyoming House of Representatives, and made appointments to the Wyoming Supreme Court and various state boards. His policies intersected with federal matters involving the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, tribal governments including the Northern Arapaho Tribe and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, and regional transportation projects connected to Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 191.

Post-gubernatorial activities

After leaving the governor's office, Mead returned to legal practice and participated in organizations such as regional think tanks, law firms with ties to energy clients, and nonprofit boards including conservation-focused groups interacting with The Nature Conservancy and regional chapters of Sierra Club-affiliate entities. He engaged in public speaking at institutions like the University of Wyoming, the Center for Western Priorities, and events hosted by the National Governors Association. He also consulted on matters involving state-federal relations with the Department of Agriculture and provided advisory input to energy-sector stakeholders such as the Wyoming Energy Authority.

Personal life and legacy

Mead is married with family ties in Teton County, Wyoming and maintains residences in Wyoming communities tied to outdoor recreation areas such as Jackson Hole and nearby federal lands including the Bridger-Teton National Forest. His legacy includes judicial appointments to the Wyoming Supreme Court, litigation outcomes from his tenure as U.S. Attorney that involved the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and policy impacts on the Wyoming oil industry and wildlife management practices overseen by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. He is associated with civic groups such as the Boy Scouts of America and statewide business organizations including the Wyoming Chamber of Commerce.

Category:Governors of Wyoming Category:University of Wyoming College of Law alumni Category:1962 births Category:Living people