About 20 years ago, Matt began working with the PLJV partnership to conserve playas in northwest Kansas and is pleased to see how much has been accomplished since then. With a shared focus on science, policy, and geospatial-based solutions, both The Nature Conservancy and PLJV share a common goal of helping agricultural producers achieve tangible, lasting conservation.

Participating on the PLJV board and surrounding himself with other passionate problem solvers helps Matt in his own job overseeing the Conservancy’s work in western Kansas, As the Southern High Plains Grassland Project Manager, he develops conservation strongholds in portions of five states by collaborating with ranchers and other stakeholders to restore and maintain core areas of native grasslands through effective management and long-term conservation.

Matt holds a master’s degree in biology from Ft. Hays State University, where he researched prairie chicken ecology. In addition to working on the family farm, he was a district wildlife biologist for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks before joining the Conservancy’s staff in 2012.

Matt and his wife spend most of their free time keeping up with their four kids, ages 7 through 16, and hunting and fishing every chance they get.