Matt received a BS in Architectural Engineering, Illumination Engineering Option from the University of Colorado. He has been involved in the industry since 1995, holding various positions. At Lithonia he was an Application Engineer and was promoted to Manager of Application Engineering. He has also worked at the Representative Agency Level as a Designer and Application Engineer. When he was at Lighting Analysts (AGI32), he was the Manager of Customer Care. At Peerless he was a Specification Project Manager in charge of the Custom Fixtures Division. He is currently the Principal of the lighting consulting firm, Matt Hartley Lighting LLC. Matt has been involved in the IES since 1994 and became a full member in 2001.

Matt has chaired several committees including Automotive Retail Sales, and several committees within the IES Street and Area Lighting Conference. These included the Street and Area Lighting committee, SALC Executive sub-committee, the 2009 Street and Area Lighting Conference Planning sub-committee, and Education sub-committee. After stepping down as the Education Sub-Committee Chair for the SALC in early 2010, he took on the role of Lead Instructor and Educational Coordinator for the SALC. In 2019 he was honored with the IES-SALC Lifetime Service Award. Matt was voted in as a co-chair of the ELO (Education, Library, and Office) lighting committee in the summer of 2020.

Matt was also appointed to the Educational Materials Review Council for the IES in 2010 which changed to the Education Material Review Committee Until 2019. Matt also serves on the IES ONE (Outdoor Nighttime Environment) and Merchandise Lighting Committees.

Matt enjoys teaching and has taught several industry related courses with original content. He has presented at the IES Annual Conference, Street and Area Lighting Conference, Lightfair, and the IES Outdoor Lighting Symposium. Matt received an IIDA award of Merit in the fall of 2004 for his design of the Atlanta Area Council Boy Scouts of America Volunteer Service Center. He also holds a patent for a fixture design in 2008, and another more recently in 2024.

With his diverse experience and positions in the lighting industry, he has a knowledge of addressing many of the challenges that people in the lighting industry face in their roles. He is always willing to share knowledge and is a lifelong learner.