Matthew McElhenie was born in Fresno, CA. He moved to San Luis Obispo County in 1997 to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He started his public service career with San Luis Ambulance in San Luis Obispo, California. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Matthew was accepted and graduated from Cuesta College’s first paramedic program earning an A.S. in Paramedicine. Shortly after finishing paramedic school in 2007, Matthew worked part-time for Cambria Ambulance, where he worked for over 13 years. In 2008 Matthew accepted his first assignment as a Firefighter/Paramedic with Selma Fire Department in Selma, CA. After working for two years, Matthew accepted a position with the Department of Defense as an Engineer/Paramedic, which he served for five years. After those five years, Matthew moved to the State of California as an Engineer/Paramedic with Cal Fire until he joined Hartnell College as Emergency Medical Services and Health Sciences faculty in 2017.  Matthew has helped several community colleges throughout the state manage and navigate instruction throughout the pre and post-Covid 19 pandemic. Matthew has completed his Doctor of Public Administration from California Baptist University in Riverside, CA, his M.S. in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, and a B.S. in Kinesiology for California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo, CA. Matthew has served as a Paramedic Field Training Officer, Quality Improvement Officer, and EMS Coordinator throughout his career. Matthew has been a leader in each of his organizations while championing grant funding, change, and collaboration. Matthew is well respected among his peers and looks forward to supporting the community of Cambria.