Mathew Sanders

Mathew Sanders builds the policy foundations that help make great places and resilient communities possible. As Vice President of Policy and Governmental Affairs at the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX), he leads the organization’s policy portfolio, connecting CPEX’s on-the-ground planning experience to decisions at the local, state, and federal levels of government—spanning land use, housing, infrastructure, energy, and climate resilience.

Before joining CPEX, Mathew spent six years at The Pew Charitable Trusts, where he led an all-hazard resilience initiative, working with legislators and governor’s offices in states across the country to develop and pass legislation to build the systems and capacity needed to address future climate impacts. Previously, he had a long career in Louisiana state government, leading development of the state’s $92.6 million National Disaster Resilience award and its LA SAFE planning framework, partnering closely on the latter with his future CPEX colleagues. Earlier in his career, he worked as an urban planner in New York City government and as a journalist in Jackson, Mississippi.

A Louisiana native, Mathew holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University and a master’s in urban planning from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. When he’s not working, he can be found enjoying a pint while watching a soccer match or on a long walk with his wife and their dog, Tchoupitoulas (“Chop” for short).