Meet Megan Hunt
Megan Hunt is a small business owner, community activist, and mother elected to the Nebraska State Legislature in 2018. A sixth-generation Nebraskan, Megan has lived and worked in the Dundee and Benson neighborhoods for the past 17 years. A seasoned entrepreneur, Megan founded Hello Holiday, a community-facing boutique and e-commerce company supporting independent fashion designers and best known for its “Girls Support Girls” messaging and fundraising collaborations with local nonprofit organizations. Today, Megan is the owner of Five Nine Shop and Project, a paper goods store, gallery, and studio in Benson. She has an 13-year-old daughter who is an eighth grader at Lewis and Clark Middle School.
Megan currently a State Senator in the Nebraska Legislature where she has introduced 45 bills and resolutions and cosponsored 131 bills since she was elected in 2018. Fifty-six of these bills passed with the support of the 49-member Legislature and were signed by the Governor. Original legislation she has written, from hyper-local topics like city board appointments, tenants’ rights, and grants for creative arts districts, to more controversial subjects like nonconsensual pornography and sex trafficking, has been amended into other passed bills. Megan understands firsthand how to build coalitions as a progressive and succeed together, without asking anyone to compromise their values.
Megan is also the founder and Vice President of Safe Space Nebraska, a 501(c)3 working to end harassment and assault in nightlife establishments. She is a trustee of the Business Ethics Alliance and has served on the boards of Charles Drew Health Center, Friends of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Friends of the Nebraska AIDS Project, and Omaha Area Youth Orchestras.
Born and raised in Blair, Nebraska, her parents instilled in her the value of hard work, determination, and the importance of public service. While attending Blair High School, Megan worked as a cook for a local catering company and as a member of a hot air balloon crew, where she developed relationships within her community and gained an appreciation for the sense of accomplishment that comes from working on a team. She began attending Dana College her senior year of high school as a Presidential Scholar. During this time, she worked as a newspaper reporter and as a retail clerk at a locally-owned record store. After graduating with her Bachelor’s in Intercultural Communication and German in 2008, Megan continued her education in the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Political Communication Master’s program and coached the Blair High School Forensics team for four years.
As a business owner, community leader, and parent, Megan has worked with commitment and discipline to help people from all walks of life prosper in our state. Her track record stems from her belief that the more everyday Nebraskans are empowered and supported to improve their quality of life, the easier it is for all of us to live the good life in the Cornhusker State.
A note from Meg:
I believe in a style of leadership and cooperation that doesn’t look at things in partisan terms, that doesn’t operate in either/or, and left or right. We can give struggling Nebraskans access to resources and support while still being responsible with taxpayer dollars and maintaining a balanced budget. We can be a state that is inclusive of people from all backgrounds and still value the pioneer ethos that built our foundation. We can attract innovative new businesses that grow both our urban centers and our agricultural regions. People are tired of the status quo, of business as usual, and I understand that because I’ve spent my whole life questioning the way things are done, including the misguided decisions of policymakers who are more concerned about their next election than serving their constituents. I ran for office because I believe there is a better way.
Our economy isn’t money. It’s people. My wish is to see more people prosper. My wish is to encourage the development of a culture a higher quality of education, healthcare, and social policy has made business ownership and upward mobility accessible to everybody who wants to put down roots here and invest their sweat equity into our communities. My belief is that success and happiness is not a limited resource. The more everyday Nebraskans are empowered and supported to improve their quality of life—from their homes, to their schools, to their bank accounts—the better life is for all of us.