As the calendar year ends, a new chapter begins for Jennifer Halstead at MATT Construction. In the newly created position of Chief Operations Officer & Executive Vice President, she will oversee all construction activities and report directly to Steve Matt, Chairman & CEO. The MATT team is delighted to welcome her to the family.

Halstead has enjoyed an accomplished career in commercial construction spanning nearly three decades. Her roster of projects, amounting to over $2 billion domestically and internationally, includes such icons as the Staples Center, Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel and Seaport San Diego. She also brings twenty years of high-level leadership experience from her work with the Society of Women Engineers, Rocky Mountain Section, where she served as President and Volunteer Chair for the SWE-RMS National Conference Planning Committee.

Looking Forward with Shared Excitement as Jennifer Halstead Joins the MATT Family

Steve Matt foresees a fruitful partnership as Halstead steers operations and cultivates leadership skills in young personnel: “Jennifer will expand the capacity of our C-suite and support our continued growth as well as the development of our next generation of leaders.” Moreover, he reflects, her diverse background and fluid communication style will create tremendous opportunities for MATT. “Her experience encompasses a wide range of market sectors. She is a gifted bridge-builder and will strengthen our ability to enhance our outstanding reputation in constructing unique buildings and achieving win-win solutions.”

Halstead echoes Matt’s excitement for this new step, the alignment of values and goals and the rewarding possibilities ahead: “Throughout my career, I have embraced innovation and collaboration. MATT Construction is the perfect place to grow my passion for working with great people to build one-of-a-kind projects. My hands-on approach matches the MATT Construction ethos. It is a true pleasure to join a company that is well known for its ethics in delivering quality service.”

Jennifer Halstead Brings Tremendous Experience To New Position as COO & EVP

Halstead knows the ins and outs of a jobsite. From Field Engineer to President, she has accrued a priceless range of perspectives. These different lenses on getting the job done enable her to identify clearly how any given project can be carried out to its full potential. Her leadership portfolio includes the Seaport San Diego Redevelopment Project, UCSD Triton Pavilion, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Luma Condominiums, the Getty Center Museum Tram Guideway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Stratosphere Tower and the MGM Grand Hotel and Parking Structure in Las Vegas. She also took on the complex and challenging responsibilities of project manager at the Staples Center Arena, a sprawling, multi-use venue covering nearly one-million-square-feet and constructed in 18 months that the LA Lakers, LA Clippers and LA Kings call home.

Her robust educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in General Engineering with a secondary concentration in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Southern California. She holds the position of Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver and has also served as adjunct faculty at USC. Halstead and her husband Chris are 13-time Volunteer Puppy Raisers and dedicated supporters of Canine Companions for Independence, a national service dog organization.

Halstead will be joining Chief Financial Officer Ken Blakely and President Marvin Wheat on MATT’s C-suite leadership team. Wheat has taken on the additional role of Chief Commercial Officer to oversee strategic marketing and business development initiatives and all aspects of project acquisition and preconstruction. Together, Halstead, Wheat and Blakely will oversee MATT’s continued growth and development as a top California general contractor.