Matt hails from the Northeast; the place where his reverence for the natural world first took root. He earned a BA in Environmental Geography from Colgate University and an MS in Water Resources Science from the University of Minnesota—Duluth, where he examined drivers of harmful cyanobacterial algal blooms in lakes.
His career and passion for the outdoors has driven him across the Intermountain West, from Colorado to Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. He first landed in Jackson in 2015, and his diverse work experience includes ski instructing, land development, small-scale manufacturing, professional cooking, and organic farming. In addition, he volunteered for the Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper’s citizen science monitoring program for two years, completed Idaho Master Naturalist training, and graduated from the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance’s Conservation Leadership Institute.
Since joining the POWJH team in May 2022, Matt’s work has employed science, advocacy, and outreach to advance the protection and restoration of Teton County’s water resources. He helped edit – and now guides implementation of – the Teton County Water Quality Management Plan, drives water quality monitoring efforts, helps review wastewater discharge permits and local development proposals, writes and administers grants, delivers public presentations and other outreach materials, and collaborates with numerous government, land management, research, and nonprofit organizations on issues related to drinking water quality, wastewater management, and impaired surface waters.
You can find Matt and his wife, Hannah, canoeing, foraging, dog-sitting, climbing, and skiing.