Board Spotlight: Matt Hinkle

We are delighted to welcome Matt Hinkle to the Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference Board of Directors. In his professional life, Matt is Head of Global Operations

at Franklin Templeton. Matt joined the Board of Directors to help the community's youth as they develop into the leaders of the future. We are grateful for the expertise he brings to the board, with his broad professional background and his personal perspectives as a Hands4Hope parent.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m from Cameron Park, having lived there for 22 years. My wife (Susanna) and I have been married for 25 years, and I have an 18 year old daughter (Lily) and 14 year old son (Jonathan). We also have a 5 year old labradoodle (Maggie). We like to travel as a family. Our favorite vacation destination is Hawaii and we’re planning a big trip to Italy this summer when Lily graduates from High School and Jonathan from middle school. Aside from travel, I like sports (a long suffering Sacramento Kings fan), reading (mostly history and biographies), and playing music (I’ve played guitar for over 30 years).

How did you first learn about Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference?

I learned about it through my daughter, Lily, who joined the program as a 6th grader at Camerado Springs Middle School. She’s been an active participant in the organization now for 6 years and I’ve really been impressed by it and by her growth.

Tell us about your professional background and your position on the Hands4Hope Board of Directors.

I work for a large investment management company where I lead my firm’s global operations function. This encompasses things like investment operations, accounting, tax, and shareholder servicing. I have a team of about 1,600 people all over the world so I’ve gotten to travel to some pretty interesting and cool places over the years. I really enjoy getting to know different people, cultures and ways of life.

What motivated you to dedicate your time in this way?

Hands4Hope has a really impressive mission in that it both directly serves the community and it helps develop young people into tomorrow’s leaders. I’ve been extremely impressed with the transformation that my daughter has undergone over her 6 years in the program and when the opportunity arose, I was happy to see what I could do to contribute and help bring that transformation to others.

What is one memorable experience that stands out so far in your involvement with Hands4Hope?

My daughter Lily is the current Youth Board President. Last summer, at the Endless Summer Beach Party, she had to get up and give a speech. I sat in the audience really amazed at her growth over the years, and how she had developed into a confident leader and someone who was comfortable in that environment.

What do you want others to know who might be considering getting involved with Hands4Hope?

The youth in this organization are doing some impressive work to improve their world. Engaging with the organization is a great way to help enable that work to continue and help youth grow as leaders.

If you could learn any one new thing, what would it be?

I mentioned that I’ve played guitar for 30+ years. If I could learn one new thing, it would be to be a good guitar player. 🙂