Matt has been a part of The Center since 2021. In his role as Development Specialist and Communications Lead, he represents The Center to rural health organizations, partners, clients, and the public while developing new partnerships and business connections. He also helps to lead the communications team, managing branding, design, and published resources.
For Matt, the people are what drew him to this field of work. He grew up in a rural community in Arkansas, where distance was measured by how close you were to the “junction.” He and his neighbors were also 30 miles from the nearest emergency room, a fact well understood by those who call this town their home. While he now lives in a different rural community far from his hometown, it will always influence his love for rural America and the importance of receiving care locally.
His passion for rural communities and finding ways to help them thrive led him to earn his bachelor’s degree in ministry communication and his master’s degree in health communication with a concentration in digital health care marketing. For over 20 years, Matt’s career has revolved around people and communication. He spent a decade working with churches across the south. He has also worked for the American Cancer society in addition to helping small businesses and nonprofits with their marketing strategy. Above all, Matt is most proud of being able to represent and share the phenomenal results of The Center’s technical assistance programs and projects.
Matt currently resides in Maine.