Councilman Matt Powell was born in Long Beach, California in 1976. He attended California Lutheran University, graduating summa cum laude in 1998 with a B.A. in English and Political Science. During college, he served as an intern with the Ronald Reagan Foundation in Simi Valley. Matt also acted, served in student government, and was a second tenor in the acclaimed CLU Choir.

Matt currently serves as Director of Community Relations and Grants Manager for Concordia University Texas. Prior to joining Concordia, he worked for State Farm Insurance for almost eleven years, most recently as the company’s Texas Operations Strategist.

Since his election to Council in 2005, Councilman Powell has been appointed by his peers to focus on several initiatives, including Cedar Park Center, the Schlitterbahn Cedar Park project, the hotel recruiting focus group, the City-Chamber Relations panel, the Veteran’s Memorial committee, and the city logo/branding project. He has also represented the City on three legislative missions to Washington, D.C. in support of improvements to Whitestone Boulevard and Anderson Mill Road.

Councilman Powell also represents Cedar Park as a member of the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) board.

Active in his community, Matt was selected as an LISD Community Champion in 2008. He has been a member of the Greater Austin Chamber’s State Issues Committee since 2010, and served on a Williamson County Grand Jury in 2009. In 2007, he was awarded the Cedar Park Fire Chief's Commendation Ribbon. He graduated from the Cedar Park Citizen's Police Academy in 2004. Matt also serves on the Cedar Park Library Foundation board of directors and has volunteered time to help the United Way and Habitat for Humanity.

His efforts to involve young people in government and the political process led to Matt being named "Man of the Year" by the Texas Young Republican Federation in 2004. He served two terms as that organization’s National Committeeman from 2003 to 2005. In November 2004, he was named national chairman of the organization’s armed services policy team, where he led a team in formulating positions on military and defense issues.

Matt and his wife, Heather, were married in 1999 and have resided in Forest Oaks since 2003. Heather is also a Cal Lutheran graduate, and received her M.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas. Their daughter, Lark, is a Cedar Park native, having been born at Cedar Park Regional Medical Center in April 2010. The Powells have a golden retriever named Daisy and are members of Palm Valley Lutheran Church.