Matt Barnes (he/him) first found his passion for serving children and families when working at the Boys and Girls Club in northern Colorado. He then coached middle school basketball teams and worked as a camp counselor at Camp Pontiac in upstate New York. Matt eventually found himself running an afterschool program and summer camp for the Eugene Family YMCA. His passions broadened through his interest in video and media production. Matt has worked on short-form documentaries, local commercials, and was even on the production team for a Super Bowl commercial.

After a hiatus of formal education, Matt attended the University of Oregon and completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He continues to pursue his passions of community engagement and storytelling as an organizer of the Eugene Juneteenth Celebration and as a track and field coach at South Eugene High School.