Matt has a strong industrial background with almost a decade spent as a metallurgical engineer in the automotive foundry and stainless steel industries. Much of this experience was centered on process development and engineering for the purposes of increasing efficiency and reducing costs. In addition to this engineering side, Matt was also a supervisor for quality laboratories following strict automotive QS 9000 quality standards. His work in the stainless steel industry dealt with developing new processes and products for a variety of customer specifications, as well as consulting on-site with customers to resolve their manufacturing difficulties.

A shift in focus sent Matt to earn an MBA as well as Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Civil/Environmental engineering. His areas of concentration were hydraulics, anaerobic and aerobic digestion, as well as the use and development of molecular biology methods for the resolution of environmental issues. He holds three patents, including two for molecular biology methods and one for an anaerobic digestion process.