ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Mathew
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
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Chair, Housing Authority of the City of Franklin
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Chair, Historic and Architectural Review Board, City of Franklin
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Chair, Planning and Zoning Commission, City of Franklin
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Chair, CEDS Infrastructure and Place Development Action Team, Northwest Commission
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Director, Allegheny Valley Board of Realtors
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Director, Franklin Fine Arts Council
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Director, Alpha Alumni Association of the Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity
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Member, Strategic Planning Committee, Venango County Economic Development Authority
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Member, Strategic Planning Committee, Allegheny Valley Board of Realtors
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Panelist, Professional Standards Cooperative, Pennsylvania Association of Realtors
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High Commissioner, PA Stone Skipping Championships
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Parade Emcee, City of Franklin
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2013 Flex Young Professional of the Year
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Participant in numerous housing and employment coalitions and symposiums
WHERE I COME FROM
My name is Matt Beith. I’m a family man. I love my wife, Mishelle. I love our three kids, Ellie (6), Oggy (3), and Harper (2). I love our dog Peanut. And I love Venango County. That’s why I’m running for Venango County Commissioner. I believe that all citizens deserve to love this place as much as my family does. I believe that your success facilitates mine. I believe that effective leadership relies on empowering those around you.
I was raised in Franklin, and graduated with honors from Franklin High School, where I played three varsity sports and participated in numerous other extracurricular activities. Like many, I moved away after high school, and spent the next four years at Middlebury College, in Vermont. I studied molecular biology and biochemistry, among other disciplines, and graduated with a B.A. in English Literature. After graduation, I moved around New England and Pennsylvania, working in retail finance for Bank of America, National City Bank, and other regional banks. Prior to the financial crisis of 2007 - 2008, I made a change of career, and moved to Stuyvesant, NY, to live and work on a 180 acre meat production sheep farm, where I spent 5 years as farm manager and sole permanent employee. In 2012, I pulled roots from the farm, and moved home to work for my family’s real estate services company, Beith Associates.
Each of these experiences has taught me something new. My collegiate experiences taught me that it’s ok to reevaluate, and pivot, when the path you’re on doesn’t seem to be the right one anymore. My time in retail finance taught me the ever changing value of a dollar, and that it needs to be treated with respect and prudence. Managing a farm gave me an appreciation for the hardest working unsung heroes of America - the farmers, without whom
we’d have no food. Working for Beith Associates has given me the chance to develop relationships with so many unique and diverse residents, the experience and rapport to understand the nuances of small town economics, and the opportunity to engage in volunteerism on an immersive level.
As Chairperson of the Housing Authority of the City of Franklin, I have a first hand opportunity to be a part of making a positive impact on the lives of under housed individuals and families. As chairperson of the Franklin Historic and Architectural Review Board, I have the chance to preserve the legacy of our many historic houses and buildings. As vice-chairperson of the Planning and Zoning Commission, I get to play an integral role in the future development of the City. The same is true for the numerous other boards, commissions, committees, and events of which I’m honored to be a part.
Being an effective leader requires complete engagement in the community process, on every level. You want the government to believe in the betterment of the community. My leadership relies on this participation. My wife is a leader of philanthropic-giving across several counties. Our kids go to school with your kids, and we love them the same as our own. I emcee parades and other community events. I volunteer for social and civic organizations. I sit on the regional boards and commissions that guide the future of our community. I am fully invested in a better future, for your family and for mine, and this community will inform my policy. Together, we can lead Venango County to another hundred years of prosperity. Because the foundation of every good leader is not politics. It’s public service.
