Matt Zone oversees Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s Thriving Communities program, where he works with cities and community organizations throughout Ohio to transform vacant, unsafe, and unproductive properties into useful ones. In the process, communities are finding new opportunities to attract economic growth, add green space, and support safe, beautiful neighborhoods.
Prior to joining the Land Conservancy, Matt served as a Cleveland City Councilman for two decades, representing Ward 15, which includes the Cudell, Detroit Shoreway, Edgewater, Gordon Square, and Ohio City neighborhoods. Throughout his career as a public official, Matt gained a reputation for working collaboratively with Cleveland City government as well as residents to enhance the neighborhoods he served. Through the creation of the Gordon Square Arts District, capital improvements in and around Battery Park, as well as the enhanced connectivity to Edgewater Park, Matt has a proven track record with successful place making.
Matt is recognized nationally, regionally, and locally as a leader on environmental and arts & cultural issues. In 2017, he served as the President of the National League of Cities, the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing 19,000 cities, towns, and villages. Regionally, Matt is a former past President of the Northeast Ohio City Council Association (NOCCA) and one of the original members of the Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force, which is working to create offshore wind generation in Lake Erie. Matt currently serves on the board of Vibrant NEO 2040, Black Environmental Leaders Association, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Neighborhood Veterans Association, and Italian American Museum of Cleveland.
Matt brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, land use, public art, and environmental policy with the purpose of creating positive change for Northeast Ohio. With a background in Urban Planning and a commitment to social equity, his work engages diverse community stakeholders, to inform and support sustainable community development goals.
Born on February 14th in the City of Cleveland, OH, and raised by middle-class parents, Matt was taught the values of hard work and civic responsibility at an early age. Matt is a graduate of Cleveland State University, married to Michelle, and they have a son who is a Cleveland Police detective.