Matt Meyer

Matt Meyer
New Castle County Executive
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded by Tom Gordon

Matthew S. Meyer is an American politician, teacher, and attorney. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he was elected New Castle County Executive in 2016.

Background

Meyer grew up Wilmington, Delaware, and graduated from Wilmington Friends School, Brown University (cum laude graduate in political science and computer science), and the University of Michigan Law School (member, Michigan Law Review).[1]

Career

Meyer taught public school in Washington, D.C., for three years. He has also taught at Prestige Academy in Wilmington. He won a prestigious Skadden Fellowship upon graduation from law school and used it to work for Community Legal Aid in Wilmington. He then became an attorney working in mergers and acquisitions with Simpson Thatcher and Bartlett LLP. He served in Iraq as a diplomat for the U.S. State Department, worked as an economic advisor to Governor Jack Markell and was a partner at Potomac Law Group.[2] He has started two businesses, Ecosandals and VituMob, both in Kenya. He appeared on CNN to discuss Ecosandals and on using technology to create jobs in poor neighborhoods.[3] In 2003 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Meyer was awarded the Sam Beard Jefferson Award for the Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years and Under; at that same ceremony Condoleezza Rice received a Jefferson Award.[4] Al Gore's Current TV called him an All Around Superhuman.[5]

2016 campaign

In the Democratic primary for New Castle County Executive, Meyer's campaign focused on integrity and economic policy.[6] On September 13, Meyer defeated three-term incumbent Tom Gordon by a margin of 4.66% in the primary, winning 21,487 votes (52.33%) to Gordon's 19,678 votes (47.67%).[7] Meyer defeated Republican Mark Blake in the general election in November with 67% of the vote. He took office on January 3, 2017.

Accomplishments as New Castle County Executive

Meyer's accomplishments as New Castle County Executive include:

  • Selected the first African-American police chief in the 106-year history of the 400-officer New Castle County Police Department.[8]
  • Facing growing deficits, reduced spending by over $5 million in the first 60 days, and passed a $284 million budget that was passed by County Council without amendment.[9][10]
  • Announced, with the police chief, the kidnapping and safe release of a four year-old girl and pleaded with the public to provide information to help identify a suspect. Several weeks later, using information provided by the public, announced an arrest.[11][12]
  • Hosted first-ever county Iftar dinner for leaders of all the mosques in the county.[13]
  • Proposed changes to contracting rules likely to save the county at least $2 million in annual construction spending and increase in-state apprenticeship opportunities.[14]
  • Attracted Del Monte Foods to Glasgow, Delaware and announced the global food producer was opening its largest distribution facility in the company, likely to create thousands of jobs.[15]
  • Saved county taxpayers over $2 million by preserving hundreds of acres of county farmland for preservation at $3,000 per acre, cancelling a previous deal to preserve at $30,000 per acre.[16]
  • Announced a new, comprehensive and innovative program to address over 1300 vacant homes.[17]
  • Signed into law changes to the county's land use code to spawn job growth and innovation.[18]

References

  1. ↑ http://michiganlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Vol.-100-Masthead.pdf
  2. ↑ "Matthew Meyer - Potomac Law Group". Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  3. ↑ "Kenyan Company Launches a Line of Environment-Friendly Footwear - Transcript". CNN. August 26, 2001. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Jefferson Awards Foundation Past Winners". Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  5. ↑ "Eco Sandals: Current TV | TeamJaded". teamjaded.com. Retrieved 2016-08-08.
  6. ↑ "Meyer for New Castle County". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  7. ↑ "State of Delaware - Department of Elections · Office of the State Election Commissioner". elections.delaware.gov. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  8. ↑ "Bond named NCCo's first black police chief". delawareonline. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  9. ↑ "NCCo Executive Matt Meyer: No tax hike in coming year". delawareonline. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  10. ↑ Irizarry, Joe. "Meyer imposes immediate budget cuts to New Castle County government". WDEL 101.7FM. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  11. ↑ McAneny, DJ. "'This heartless monster': Police reveal Pike Creek girl, 4, was abducted and raped". WDEL 101.7FM. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  12. ↑ Cherry, Amy. "New Castle County Police make an arrest in kidnapping, assault of 4-year-old Pike Creek girl". WDEL 101.7FM. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  13. ↑ "Log In or Sign Up to View". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  14. ↑ "New Castle County loosens construction rules to increase local bids". delawareonline. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  15. ↑ "Del Monte plans processing center in Pencader area". Delaware Business Now. 2017-02-20. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  16. ↑ Cherry, Amy. "VIDEO | A better deal for Delaware taxpayers: Farmland preservation at a fraction of the cost". WDEL 101.7FM. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  17. ↑ "NCCo plan addresses growing number of vacant homes". delawareonline. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  18. ↑ Cherry, Amy. "VIDEO: Changes to New Castle County land use aim to spawn job growth, innovation". WDEL 101.7FM. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
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