May 2023

Matthew Anderson 2014

DEGREES:
B.A. Conflict Analysis & Dispute Resolution, Business Administration Minor

CURRENT EMPLOYER
Hoboken Strategy Group

CURRENT OCCUPATION
Vice President

DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER PATH
During my junior year at Salisbury University, I had the incredible opportunity to intern with Delegate Norm Conway in the Maryland Legislature. With nearly 30 years representing Salisbury, Delegate Conway mentored me throughout the 90 most memorable days of my professional life. Afterward, I joined his re-election campaign, but sadly, he lost the race. His loss affected me deeply for months.

Motivated to learn more about campaigns, I returned to New Jersey and immersed myself in numerous legislative and municipal campaigns. This experience equipped me with the knowledge to win elections and prevent the loss of monumental leaders like Delegate Conway. Subsequently, I served as chief of staff for two Assembly members in the New Jersey Legislature, relishing the chance to make a difference in people's lives.

Afterward, I transitioned to the private sector, joining the marketing and communications firm Direct Development, owned by my New Jersey political mentor, Senator Vin Gopal. In this role, I honed my skills in client representation and problem-solving. Eventually, in October 2021, I began my current position as a lobbyist for Hoboken Strategy Group within the New Jersey Legislature.

I am passionate about my work in politics and thrive on finding solutions to help our clients achieve their objectives.

MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED WHILE ATTENDING SALISBURY UNIVERSITY
At Salisbury, the most important thing I learned was time management. I do not enjoy schoolwork, but to pass my classes and do well, I needed to be disciplined and figure out how to get my schoolwork done. During the day, I would play basketball, hangout with friends and enjoy a nice dinner at Commons. But every night around 7 p.m., I would head to TETC, which is now Conway Hall, and go to a computer lab and work on school work from about 7 p.m. until about midnight. If I had less schoolwork, I would leave early, and if I had more, I would stay later. I believe the building officially closed at midnight, but lucky for me, no one really bothered me, and I certainly stayed after 1 or 2 a.m. many nights.

Through that experience, I learned that to get things done, it takes time. For me, it was important to exercise and spend time with my friends, but I knew that I needed to block off time and go to a private location to get my work done. As a 30-year-old who balances a full-time job, part-time law school, a political action committee, triathlon training and, most importantly, spending time with my fiancé, this lesson holds true even more. If you want to get something done or accomplish your goals, you need to dedicate the time. Anyone can have energy and motivation for one day, but success is about consistency. It is about putting in hours of work every day.

WHAT CAMPUS ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH?
As a freshman, I was a part of Campus Against Violence, a program to educate students about relationships and sexual assault on campuses. After a quick Google search, it does not seem like the organization is still around today, but it was one of the most valuable experiences of my college career. Every April, Campus Against Violence would host an event called Light the Night. The event served as a safe place for individuals to come to the microphone to speak about any experiences or anything they would like to share with the group. Hundreds of people would attend, including the City of Salisbury Police Chief. [The event still exists at the University today; SU’s Counseling Center hosts the annual Take Back the Night event.] I often think about many of those stories shared today, and I hope that in the future, we as a society can do a better job to prevent sexual assaults, not just on college campuses, but everywhere.

BEST COLLEGE MEMORY
It sounds a little cheesy, but my favorite memory at Salisbury was winning the softball intramural championship. It was our junior year, and we had lost in the finals the year before. We were a ragtag bunch of basketball players, football players and baseball players who came together to form this incredible bond. I played sports my entire life, but my favorite win was winning that championship. As a high school athlete, I was too caught up in my own success or failure. But as the captain of our intramural team, all I cared about was us winning. Celebrating that win is still one of my favorite memories of all time.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SALISBURY UNIVERSITY?
First, Salisbury offered Division 3 basketball. I planned to try out for the team, but unfortunately, I broke my foot before tryouts. But looking back, those guys were much better basketball players than me, and I would have never made the team even with a healthy foot.

Second, my Dad said I could choose any major except business. While on a tour at Salisbury University, I discovered the Center for Conflict Resolution house. I started looking into conflict resolution as a major, and I fell in love. Joke's on you Dad, my life goal is to start my own business.

Third, I wanted a school that was significantly larger than my high school but smaller than Rutgers with 40,000 students. Salisbury ended up being the perfect size. While at lunch, you would see dozens of people that you knew, but every party and social activity you did outside of the classroom would not be common knowledge like in high school.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE SALISBURY UNIVERSITY IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE AND WHY?
Growth - For me personally, I grew into the person I am now at Salisbury. Whether it was my internship, my jobs on campus, or developing the discipline to become a decent student, I grew into the person I am today while at Salisbury.

Independence - I hated high school. I found it boring, long and more like babysitting than education. I instantly took to the college schedule. Instead of being in class for 35 hours per week, we were in class for 12 to 16 hours per week. It was expected that you would take the material and teach it to yourself outside of the classroom. I thrived in that environment.

Support - As I mentioned above, my internship was the greatest blessing of my professional career. I cannot thank Professor Hoffman enough for connecting me with Delegate Norm Conway. Additionally, as a student, I utilized the Writing Center and the Tutoring Center. I found that Salisbury provided me with all of the tools necessary to succeed.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT AND WHY?
It is a toss-up between London and Paris. London - My absolute favorite city. I loved every second. Paris - My fiancé and I were engaged there. Generally speaking, I find Paris significantly overrated compared to London, but how can I beat the memory of getting engaged to the most amazing person on earth? Love you, Cyd!

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT
Although I am not completely done yet, I will be completing law school this December. A four and a half-year journey completed on my weekends. It was and always will be the hardest thing I have ever done. But if I can complete law school (J.D., Seton Hall Law, anticipated graduation December 2023), I can complete anything.

WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
Exercise is my stress reliever - I love to run. I run about three to four times per week. I am also a huge comedy fan. Once I have more free time, I would love to attend open mic nights and try comedy for fun.