Makenna Trapani spent five years in emergency veterinary medicine before realizing that individual care wasn’t enough to fix the system-level problems affecting animals. Now, at just 23, she works as a Government Affairs Associate in Arizona, helping to pass animal welfare legislation and build the coalitions needed to turn ideas into state law. Martina sits down with Makenna to explore her path from vet tech to policy work, how an internship sparked her interest in public service, and what it actually takes to move a bill through the legislature, from stakeholder negotiations to the persistence required when laws don’t pass the first time.

In this episode

What emergency veterinary work revealed about the limits of care beyond the clinic
How a Senate internship sparked Makenna’s path into public policy and advocacy
What a Government Affairs Associate actually does day to day
The two-year process behind passing an animal neglect law
How bills move through committees, chambers, and legislative deadlines
What “being a voice for the voiceless” means in legislative work
The role of lobbying, amendments, and compromise in shaping legislation
Why persistence and timing matter as much as good ideas in policy work

Key moments

(00:00) Introducing Makenna and her work in public policy

(01:14) Emergency vet work and the gaps that led her toward policy

(03:30) What a Government Affairs Associate does

(05:29) How Makenna and Martina first met in Hawaii

(06:31) Shark research and early conservation work

(07:59) Linking conservation work to policy and legislation

(09:21) From vet tech shifts to policy work at the Capitol

(11:28) The animal neglect case that led to new legislation

(13:32) The two-year process behind Arizona's animal neglect legislation

(14:50) How legislative timing and deadlines affect bills

(17:23) How many people are involved in passing a bill

(19:57) Stakeholder work, lobbying, and persistence

(21:12) Closing reflections on civic engagement and change

Resources

• Episode page and resources: https://oceanwingspodcast.com/episode/vet-to-lobbyist-makenna
• Get Martina’s emails: https://oceanwingspodcast.com/newsletter
• More about manta rays on https://mantarayadvocates.com
• Watch the full video on YouTube

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