Matt Riggins ’99

Vice Chair, Burlington County Bridge Commission; Member, Camden County Workforce Development Board; Strategy Director, Riggins, Inc.

Matt Riggins ’99 has taken on several civic leadership roles, including Vice Chair of the Burlington County Bridge Commission and a member of the Camden County Workforce Development Board. His interest in political involvement began with his work for the nonprofit Save the Children: “Part of that experience was to send me out to Iowa for the Democratic caucuses,” Matt said. “We were talking about global poverty and trying to make it an issue that the candidates talked about. I caught the bug there, and I came back to DC after that. Congressman Rob Andrews (NJ) had an opening for an entry-level position.”

After working as Congressman Andrews’ Legislative Assistant and Deputy Communications Director for several years, Matt went on to earn his M.B.A. at Georgetown University. He then began work as a Strategy and Organization Associate at info-tech consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

Since 2012, Matt has worked as Strategy Director at petroleum supplier Riggins, Inc. As a member of the Camden County Workforce Development Board, Matt volunteers his time to help train people to be prepared to enter the workforce. “My focus is mostly with youth, especially in Camden City, where there’s a high dropout rate and high youth unemployment rates,” Matt said.

Matt was also recently appointed as Vice Chair of the Burlington County Bridge Commission, which runs the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge and the Burlington Bristol Bridge as well as other bridges around the county. The Commission also acts as an economic development authority for Burlington County.

In reflecting on his time at MFS, Matt recalled the focus on service and silence. “At work, I’m involved in so many different things, and we’re always bombarded by information and screens and text messages and social media. Sometimes it’s hard to let your mind rest, and I think that’s actually a skill that you have to learn. MFS definitely helped develop those skills…Being able to separate yourself and find some peace, it helps you think through what’s happening around you. It makes you a better parent, a better leader, a better public servant, a better citizen.”