Matthew P. McDermott
Senior Vice President
Matt McDermott is a highly respected public affairs professional with more than 25 years of public and private sector experience developing and successfully deploying advocacy-based strategic plans to resolve complex issues and advance policy agendas. He is widely recognized by chief executives, policy makers and professional staff as a trustworthy, insightful and solutions-driven advisor, informed by an intimate working knowledge of all three branches of state government, with extensive senior management experience in both the Legislative and Executive branches. Matt has served in two administrations, including seven years as a senior staff member to Governor Chris Christie, and held senior leadership positions in four state departments.
Matt is passionate about delivering results in the public sector arena utilizing his extensive government process knowledge, persistent, persuasive communications skills and productive high-level relationships with key decision makers and critical communities.
Prior to joining TZG, Matt served as the Assistant Commissioner for Government and Community Relations at the NJ Department of Transportation. Previously, he served as Director of Appointments for Governor Chris Christie for more than four years, acting as a senior strategic advisor to the Governor on candidate recommendations and nominee confirmation strategies essential to advancing the administration’s agenda for cabinet-level, judicial, prosecutorial and volunteer board positions. In that role, he was responsible for negotiating directly with elected officials, senior executives and cabinet members.
He has served in other senior positions including Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, and Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner at the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development and as Director of Communications for the NJ Department of Treasury. From 2002-2010, he was the principal of McDermott Public Affairs, a full service public affairs consulting firm. He successfully provided advocacy, strategic planning, coalition-building and direct lobbying services to clients in the maritime, pharmaceutical, building and construction and workforce development industries.
Matt received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
