Matt Wolford was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he currently resides. He was taught the value of hard work at an early age, and he has been working non-stop since his first job at a local hardware store in his teens. He has demonstrated leadership skills since his youth. As a high school wrestler, he became co-captain of the team in his senior year. During college he worked as a lifeguard at Presque Isle State Park and was promoted to one of the supervisors of a crew of more than 70. He was a University Student Government Senator in college and has held leadership positions in state government and with the Pennsylvania Bar Association since becoming an attorney. With over three decades of experience practicing law, he is a proven legal expert with a deep understanding of government inner-workings and the law. Throughout his career, he has litigated cases in State and Federal courts, as well as government agency tribunals. He is running for judge of the Commonwealth Court to put his qualifications, years of experience, and demonstrated leadership skills to work for all Pennsylvanians. Matt is a small business owner who practices law as a solo practitioner in Erie, PA, where he represents a wide range of clients, including individuals, businesses, and organizations, such as oil and gas companies and trade associations, manufacturers, farmers, landowners, and others. Part of his practice focuses on environmental law, specifically defending clients against government enforcement actions and helping clients work through complex regulatory challenges. Another aspect of his practice focuses on fighting for private property rights, such as zoning disputes, easement disputes, and homeowners’ association matters. Before going into private practice, he served as an Assistant Counsel and Regional Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”). Prior to joining the DEP, he was a Deputy Attorney General and the attorney-in-charge of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (“OAG”), Environmental Crimes Section regional field office in Meadville, PA; and he also served as a special prosecutor for both the OAG and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Before becoming a prosecutor, he served as a civil litigation attorney for the OAG’s Torts Litigation Section in Philadelphia, PA. Matt lectures regularly for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (now part of the Pennsylvania Bar Association) and has lectured for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Enforcement Training Institute, the DEP, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania’s Minor Judiciary, the Erie County Bar Association, and various other county bar associations and organizations. He also authored a chapter in the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s The Law of Oil & Gas in Pennsylvania focusing on oil and gas development on public lands and was an Adjunct Professor at Gannon University in Erie, PA, for over 20 years. Matt is a longtime member of the Presque Isle State Park Complex Advisory Committee and the Presque Isle Partnership. He received his undergraduate degree from Penn State and his Juris Doctorate degree from the Temple University School of Law and is a member of the Erie County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. He and his wife, Marian, are the proud parents of four children.