Meet Council Hopeful Matt Wood

In the past few weeks, LOVE has presented information about five of the six individuals who plan to seek one of the three open Town Council seats in the upcoming primary election. Each is currently gathering the more than 500 signatures required by mid-March. Today, we feature the sixth hopeful, Matt Wood.

- - -

Meet Matt Wood

Matt Wood grew up in the Portland, Oregon area and spent 43 years working for a national cement company, relocating several times during his career to locations including Kansas City and Colorado. He holds a business degree from Oregon State University and an MBA in marketing from Portland State University. Wood and his wife, Susan, chose Southern Arizona for retirement and purchased their first home in Oro Valley in 2014, moving here full time after he retired in 2019. The couple has one daughter and two grandchildren. Wood is also an avid golfer and regularly walks the course at the Oro Valley Country Club.

Became involved in the community in service to the Rancho Vistoso community
After retiring, Wood said he wanted to give back to the community where he lives. He began by volunteering on the Rancho Vistoso Community Association finance committee and later was elected to the HOA board. Since 2020 he has served on the board of the association, which represents about 6,200 homes, serving as treasurer, vice president, and most recently president. Wood was also appointed to the town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in 2020.

Involved in the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve effort
Wood lives near the former Vistoso golf course and became involved early in community discussions about its future. He attended meetings on proposals for the property and participated in community efforts that led to preservation of much of the land as the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve. Wood also supported the effort financially and has volunteered in restoration activities at the site. He has also served on the town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board during discussions on projects such as the Naranja Park expansion and the preserve acquisition. In his role on the Rancho Vistoso Community Association board, he led community discussions that resulted in the removal of aging neighborhood streetlights, saving residents significant costs.

Feels confident to help the town meet future financial challenges
Wood said he decided to run this year after learning that several incumbents would not seek reelection and believing the timing created an opportunity to serve. Drawing on his experience working with the Rancho Vistoso HOA and town advisory boards, he believes Oro Valley will face financial pressures as construction-related revenues decline and the community approaches buildout. In his view, the council will need to work with residents to determine which services and priorities the community values most as future financial decisions are made.

Brings a consensus-oriented approach to decision making
Wood describes his leadership style as collaborative and focused on reaching consensus. Drawing on his experience working with HOA board members and residents, he said he prefers to gather input, evaluate options, and move toward solutions that address concerns while allowing decisions to move forward.

You can learn more about Matt and sign his petition if you wish here. 

- - -