Matthew Bowen

I serve as the strategic connector for businesses in Louisville to our robust workforce and talent development pipelines. As the liaison to KentuckianaWorks, the region’s Workforce Innovation Board (WIB), higher education, K-12, and various non-profit and for-profit training programs, I help design unique solutions to meet the needs for businesses in and those considering relocating to Louisville.

The Mayor’s Office of Innovation and Performance is charged with driving meaningful progress and tangible results on the Administration’s top priorities, in partnership with City departments and external partners. The Office houses the Budget and Performance Team, and the Special Projects and Innovation Team. The Budget and Performance Team works closely with City operating departments to drive improvements in performance by tracking more than 200 measurable areas of progress. Performance data is analyzed to identify opportunities for making improvements in services provided to Atlanta residents through data-driven decision-making, business process efficiencies, and organizational strategies. After analyzing the metrics, the team partners with City departments to develop and support the successful implementation of sustainable solutions. In partnership with the Department of Finance, the Budget and Performance team is responsible for coordinating input from City departments on the Mayor’s proposed operating budget. In addition, the team assists City departments with prioritizing their investments, contributing to high-value programs, and standardizing their spending requests. The team’s role also includes engaging with departments across the City to ensure that programs, facilities, and new initiatives have robust financial models that account for full lifecycle costs. This allows the City to identify the most critical needs across departments and provide a roadmap for ongoing investments over the coming years

For the past year, I volunteered as an English teacher in a rural village in Chaiyaphum, Thailand. I gained invaluable experience learning to communicate with individuals from all backgrounds and cultures. I also learned how to effectively communicate in an environment where English is not the predominant language spoken. Being a teacher also gave me the confidence and skill set to approach individuals and give professional expertise on a given subject.

As an undergraduate, I worked with numerous instrumentation, including XRF, GC, HPLC, and ICP-OES. As a junior, I rebuilt a broken Dionex DX-500 IC system to examine PCB’s found in water systems throughout Macon, Georgia. I conducted three years of research under a grant provided by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. I presented research at various conferences, including SERMACS. I was commended for my efficiency and effectiveness in report preparation, knowledge of EPA guidelines, and in identifying appropriate environmental issues that were specific to the local environment. I also served as a teaching assistant for General Chemistry I/II and Organic Chemistry I/II. Instrumentation and techniques included, but were not limited to GC, HPLC, FTIR, NMR, and SEC.