| A 7th generation Florida native, Matt Caldwell grew up in Lee County, where he met his wife, Yvonne. They have settled in Lehigh Acres where they are raising their daughter, Ava.
After high school, Matt attended Edison College in Fort Myers where he received his Associates Degree. Continuing his education at Florida Gulf Coast University, he earned his Bachelors of Arts with a major in History. He then went on to finish his coursework to become a State-Certified General Real Estate Appraiser.
Following college, Matt entered his career as a real estate appraiser with Maxwell & Hendry Valuation Services, Inc., where he now serves as a manager with the firm. He has attained the highest state certification in his field and is qualified as an expert witness in both state and federal court. Professionally, Matt is involved with the Real Estate Investment Society and is an Associate Member of the Appraisal Institute.
Matt finds it important to serve the community, which is why he has assisted the East County Water Control District in the role of Chairman on the Financial Advisory and Audit Committees. He is a proud member of the Lehigh Acres Weed & Seed project to help ensure a vibrant community in Lehigh Acres.
He has also aggressively pursued common-sense solutions to Everglade’s restoration, as a member of the South Florida Water Management District's Lake Okeechobee Subcommittee, which was charged with providing priority plans for Everglades restoration as a function of the 2006 Northern Everglades legislation.
Keenly interested in the future prosperity of Lee County, Matt is a member of the ad hoc Reconnecting Lee County group, whose goal it is to study and provide analysis on land use and transportation solutions for the growing community. In addition, Matt previously served as a member of Lee County's Smart Growth and 2008 Charter Review Subcommittees.
As a member of the Golden Goose project, Matt helped provide valuable insight into the Lee County annual budget and advocated for significant savings for the taxpayer. Matt most recently served as the Vice-Chairman for the Lee County Republican Party and is also a member of the National Rifle Association and the Izaak Walton League.
Matt is a passionate defender of our God-given constitutional liberties and is keenly aware that our 1st, 2nd, and 10th Amendment rights are under constant assault. He believes in a limited government that refrains from picking the winners and losers in our society. He respects the individual liberties that are a gift from our Creator, even when an expression of those liberties may be in disagreement with his positions. Whole-heartedly rejecting life-long political office holding, Matt strongly supports the concept of citizen legislators and hopes to simply be a humble servant of the people in the Florida House. Matt Caldwell Bio - Bullet Points |