Matt Betz, CFM

Matt Betz is an accomplished disaster recovery leader with more than 13 years of experience designing, implementing, and managing federally funded recovery programs across the United States and its territories. As Department Head of Long-Term Recovery and Grant Management within Michael Baker International’s Federal and Government Services vertical, which includes Tidal Basin Group, he oversees programs focused on disaster recovery, community development, and resilience. Matt’s specialized expertise includes HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), housing recovery, the Uniform Relocation Act (URA), federal grant compliance, and technology development. 

Prior to joining Tidal Basin, Matt served as a Director at ICF, where he led a national portfolio of disaster recovery programs and broadly funded buyout, acquisition, and relocation projects. His work included developing recovery strategies, strengthening program governance, providing technical assistance to state and local governments and public housing authorities, and development of technology platforms for use in the project management environment. He also directed major hurricane and wildfire recovery initiatives in North Carolina and Oregon, and supported major operations in Texas and Puerto Rico, helping communities navigate complex federal funding requirements and implement sustainable recovery solutions. 

Earlier in his career, Matt played a key role in Colorado’s flood recovery efforts, where he helped develop the nation’s first HUD-funded private access infrastructure recovery program and contributed to federal regulatory changes that established disaster risk reduction areas. His experience also includes leading strategic buyout, acquisition, relocation, and housing recovery programs, with an emphasis on regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and community-centered and trauma-informed solutions. Prior to his work in disaster management, Matt was a founding member of a small tech startup in Texas focused on developing low-cost assistive technology. 

Matt’s contributions to disaster recovery have earned numerous honors, including ICF’s Exceptional Service in Disaster Management Award, the Colorado Housing Eagle Award, and national recognition from the National Association of Counties for community recovery and resilience initiatives. 

Matt holds a Master of Arts in Technical Communication from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Illinois State University. He is a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) and an active member of the Association of State Floodplain Managers and the International Right of Way Association.