Matthew Conner

Matthew's Bio

Matthew Conner is the Managing Principal for Arete Public Affairs, where he specializes in public and government affairs and strategic business development. He has extensive experience in federal, state, and local government and political campaigns.

Matthew's professional career spans over a decade, during which he has held numerous influential roles in government and politics. Before joining Arete Public Affairs, Matthew served as the Director of Government Relations for the Houston Independent School District (HISD), which is the largest school district in Texas with nearly 200,000 students and 27,000 plus staff members. In this role, he worked closely with elected officials and their staff at the federal, state, and local levels to develop and implement advocacy efforts, establish legislative priorities, and analyze legislative proposals. Under his leadership, HISD was able to secure millions of dollars in funding from the federal and state government for critical programs and initiatives. 

Prior to joining HISD, Matthew served as the District Director for United States Representative Michael McCaul (TX-10) and as the Deputy Regional Director for Southeast Texas for United States Senator John Cornyn. He has also worked on political campaigns, including serving as the Houston Area Field Director for the Glenn Hegar Campaign for Texas Comptroller and as a Field Representative for the Greg Abbott Campaign for Texas Governor. 

Matthew is skilled in providing effective political strategy and communication with government officials, stake holders, school district administrators, and community leaders to achieve successful outcomes. 

He earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Houston.