MATT'S FULL BIOGRAPHY
Matt is a native of Arizona, growing up in Phoenix and later relocating to Queen Creek to finish out High School. Matt is married to his wife of over 29 years with three children. Matt has been employed with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for over 29 years, starting his career as a Detention Officer in 1993 and promoting through the ranks to his current position of Chief Deputy. Matt has served in Detention, Patrol, Traffic, the Training Unit, the Police Academy, Motors, Narcotics, and Investigations. Matt has also served 18 years on the Pinal Regional SWAT team as member, team leader and finishing as the team commander, being involved in and/or leading over 700 missions during his tenure on SWAT. Matt also worked in an undercover capacity, both as a detective and as a Sergeant, while assigned to the Narcotics unit. Working and supervising everything from street level drug dealers to large organized crime cases in a cartel infested environment.
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Matt’s current assignment is as the Sheriff’s Executive Officer, serving as second in command for the agency, and overseeing and managing all operations for over 600 employees and volunteers for a county that is over 5,400 square miles with an approximate population of 500,000. Matt is responsible for an operating budget of approximately $50 million, having worked from walking into his position facing a $3 million deficit to operating with a balanced budget for the past three years. Matt also worked closely with his Sheriff, Mark Lamb, to brand their agency in a positive manner and boost their public engagement through social media platforms and innovative media ideas. These ideas were also applied to correct a high attrition rate, and create an agency that attracts employees from around the country in a field of work that is struggling to recruit and retain employees.
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Matt has served as a regional representative and the Vice President of the Arizona Tactical Officer’s Association, and is a graduate of Leadership in Police Organizations and the FBI National Academy, session 261. Matt holds additional duties of a Law Enforcement trainer for basic and advanced officer training in leadership, tactics, narcotics, Mexican cartels, and several other specialty areas of Law Enforcement, having instructed for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Alliance, National Tactical Officer’s Association, National Rifle Association and multiple agencies throughout the U.S.. Matt has served as an expert on the Southwest border issues, and the problems associated with the Mexican cartels in Arizona. His work has included spearheading large scale operations targeting the Mexican cartels and smuggling operations at the local, state, and federal level. Matt is known for his collaborative efforts in working with local, state, and federal partners to fight the organized crime in his county, state and our nation.