Matt Strekel joined the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut in September 2026 as Chief Development Officer.

Matt brings extensive experience in fundraising, philanthropy, and nonprofit advancement. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served for more than seven years as Senior Director of Institutional Advancement at the Florence Griswold Museum, where he helped significantly grow annual giving and led fundraising efforts for the museum’s $24.2 million Inspiration Lives Here capital campaign.

Earlier in his career, Matt held fundraising roles at Wesleyan University and served as Director of Development at Xavier High School and The Williams School. His work has spanned annual giving, major gifts, campaign leadership, donor stewardship, and development strategy.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Dramatic Literature from Wheaton College and a master’s degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Social Science from Wesleyan University.

A Lyme native, Matt lives there with his wife, Leslie, their two children, Grace and Oliver, and their four dogs (Rocky, Sunny, Sammy, and Jax) and three cats (George, BeeBee, and M).