Matt Barron joined The Heinz Endowments in 2015 and serves as Director of the Civic Participation strategic area. Through this work, he oversees a portfolio of strategies aimed at building a more informed, engaged and resilient democracy in western Pennsylvania. Before coming to the Endowments, Matt served in various roles in nonprofits and local governments, with a particular emphasis on sustainability, civic design and planning, and policy analysis. As program director for The Buckminster Fuller Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y., he ran an international design competition called The Buckminster Fuller Challenge and a youth-focused design and sustainability workshop called The Design Science Lab. As a graduate researcher, he contributed to PlaNYC, New York City's long-term sustainability plan, focusing on food systems and stormwater management. After moving to Pittsburgh in 2010, Matt worked as policy director for then-City Councilman William Peduto and later served as policy manager for the City of Pittsburgh after Mr. Peduto was elected mayor. Matt received a bachelor's degree in urban environmental planning from The New School and a master's degree in environmental science and public policy from Columbia University, both in New York City.