Weekly Lunch Meeting – Lee County Property Appraiser, Matt Caldwell

Matt Caldwell is a 7th generation Florida native whose family came to Micanopy in 1826.  Matt was born in Gainesville but grew up in Lee County where he met his wife, Yvonne.  They live there today, where Yvonne serves as an educator and they raise their daughter, Ava.  After attending local schools in Lee County, Matt received his Associates Degree from Edison College and his Bachelor of Arts in History from Florida Gulf Coast University.  While in college, he began his career as a real estate appraiser, ultimately joining the firm of Maxwell, Hendry, Simmons in 2004, where he remains of counsel. He has attained the
highest state certification in his field and is qualified as an expert witness in multiple states and federal court. In 2019, Matt became a partner at TM Strategic Consulting, focused on candidate and political consulting.

Prior to running for public office, Matt volunteered for appointment to various governmental committees regarding financial oversight, audits, Everglades restoration, land use and transportation, as well as the 2008 constitutional review of the Lee County
Charter.  Matt was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2010-2018, serving on and chairing several committees including: tax policy, redistricting, insurance and banking, agriculture and natural resources/public lands, transportation and infrastructure, local, federal, and military affairs, and oversight of government operations, such as
pensions and elections. He is proud to have sponsored, and have the Governor sign into law, dozens of bills, including those related to agriculture, natural resources, public safety, cannabis reform, medical care, criminal justice reform, pensions, and term limits, among others.  In 2020, Matt was elected to serve as the Lee County Property Appraiser.