Matt has been married to Tara for 23 years and they have 2 adult children. He is a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Vandalia. As an active member of the church, he has taught Sunday School, is on the church security team and worked on various committees. Matt has an Associate degree from Kaskaskia College and a Bachelor's degree from Greenville University.
Matt started in 1996 with the Department of Corrections as a Correctional Officer. He worked in various assignments and positions, including promoting to Sergeant and Supply Supervisor.
In 2004 he worked diligently to keep the Vandalia Correctional Center from closing. In September of 2021 Matt began working at the Dept of Corrections training facility as a Staff Development Specialist training cadets to become Correctional Officers.
Matt is part of the IDOC Hostage Negotiations team and also a board member for the IL Crisis Negotiators Association (ICNA). Matt has helped develop, plan and implement crisis negotiations training for law enforcement.
Matt served on the Vandalia Community School District School Board for 12 years, as well as served on the Fayette County Board for 2 years. He has been a Republican Precinct Committeeman for 20 years and is currently serving as the Fayette County Republican Central Committee Chairman.
