Matt Petersen joined NAGDCA as the association’s first full time dedicated staff resource in the summer of 2017. In his role as Executive Director he works directly with the Executive Board and staff to develop strategies to help the organization achieve its mission and vision. Prior to joining NAGDCA Matt spent 13 years on active duty in the US Air Force as a C-17 evaluator pilot and air drop specialist, and served three deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Matt is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He also has a Master’s in Social Sciences from the Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.