Matt
Charles

For over two decades, Matt Charles has provided strategic and crisis communications services for a number of nonprofits, government organizations and small businesses and startups, as well as higher education & online learning consulting (Matt Charles Public Relations+Strategy). He has served as deputy spokesperson for the University of Virginia, director of media relations for the UVA Darden School of Business and director of communications and public relations for Danville (VA) Regional Foundation. His background includes working as an on-camera spokesperson, a television host in Los Angeles and serving as a special investigator in New York City, working sex crimes against children.

Charles earned his doctorate in public administration with a focus on public policy/communications at Valdosta State University, Master of Public Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia. He graduated from the UVA Sorensen Political Leaders and Duke University Nonprofit Certificate programs and attended Certificates in Leadership and Business Strategy from the UVA Darden School of Business. Charles holds his Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) certification from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Leadership in Online Learning certificate from the Online Learning Consortium.

In August 2018, he was appointed to the Fulbright Specialist Communications and Journalism roster — a unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.

Global work includes providing communications training to international elected officials for the US Department of State and serving on the editorial board of the Association of African University’s International Journal of Higher Education Policy in Africa.