Matt is the Chief Executive Officer for the Montana Public Health Institute (MTPHI). In this role, he leads the strategic and programmatic work of the organization in order to build the institute into an effective and innovative partner in improving Montana’s public health system and the health and quality of life for all Montanans.

Matt’s interest in public health began in a small farming village in Mali, West Africa, where he served as a Peace Corps volunteer and worked with the community to provide food security, clean water, and improved health. That experience led Matt to a career in public health, including a tenure working on public health and mental health issues within the Executive Office of the Mayor of Washington DC under Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. More recently, Matt served for over 11 years as Health Officer of Gallatin County, Montana, where he led Gallatin City-County Health Department to national accreditation and helped establish new programs to address chronic disease, maternal and child health, and behavioral health and resiliency. Matt was Health Officer during the first 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and has served in board-level leadership roles for the Montana Association of Public Health Officials and the Greater Gallatin United Way.

Matt earned his MPH at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with an emphasis in Child & Maternal Health and Health Finance and Management. Prior to his career in public health, Matt was a journalist and newspaper reporter in Washington DC, where he covered Congress and issues affecting middle America. He is motivated by the promise and potential of the people who work within Montana’s public health system and a desire to empower and magnify the impact of their work.