Matt Baughman Email Address

Board Member

Southern Illinois University is the right place for your college experience: in Carbondale, Illinois, SIU offers everything you need, plus extras that inspire.

A well-rounded public higher education administrator, I learned effective public policy, leadership, communication and management principles from working for two of the state's most respected elected officials, U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D) and Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar (R), and their senior staff members. As in politics, change is constant in higher education. I've learned to adapt quickly while remaining grounded in the valuable lessons that have served me well in my career. Keeping your core mission in mind is critical to success. Areas of professional excellence include policy interpretation and implementation, responsive management, clear communications, thoughtful event planning, effective strategic thinking, building strong partnerships, positive government relations and impactful fundraising. BIO Matt Baughman has served as chief of staff at Southern Illinois University Carbondale since August 2013. Baughman is the liaison to the board of trustees, the university system office, the vice chancellors and other direct reports to the chancellor. He also manages the directors of Head Start, WSIU (with 5 television and two radio stations that are PBS and NPR affiliates) and events and protocol. Baughman joined SIU in 1998 as a development officer for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Over his 15 years there, Baughman served as the institute’s assistant, associate and interim director while participating in a number of meaningful initiatives, including: reaching Senator Simon’s goal of a $10 million endowment; traveling on a 2001 Mission Trip to Cuba; coordinating Simon’s 2003 funeral; ensuring the legacy of the university’s first African American male student; and serving as point person for the institute’s many notable guests such as Barbara Bush, Walter Cronkite and Coretta Scott King. A native of Springfield, Baughman graduated from Illinois College in 1994, where he was named a Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. He was selected for the prestigious Dunn Fellowship Program, spending 1994-1995 working in the press office of Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. Baughman earned an MBA from SIU Carbondale in 1997. In 2013, he was selected for the Edgar Fellows, a statewide leadership program, at the University of Illinois, and currently serves on the program’s nomination review and fundraising committees. In 2019, Baughman was named to the volunteer position as a board member of Elevate Illinois. Baughman and his wife, Angie, reside in Carbondale with sons Alex and Josh.