Matt Horton is the director of state policy and initiatives for Accelerator for America. In this role, he interacts with government officials and other community leaders to build capacity toward shaping infrastructure, job creation, and equitable community development efforts. Over the past fifteen years, Horton has worked to direct research-driven programs and initiatives to develop public policy that impacts housing production and infrastructure finance, enhances access to capital, and creates jobs and other economic development strategies.

Previously, Horton was the director of the California Center at the Milken Institute. There, he produced research, programs, and events designed to inform and activate innovative economic policy solutions to support job creation and infrastructure development as a catalyst for supporting resilient growth. Prior to that, Horton worked for the Southern California Association of Governments, the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization. There, Horton served as the primary point of contact for external and government affairs, coordinating regional policy development with local elected officials and state and federal stakeholders. In this role, he developed plans with leaders across Southern California to plan for growth, build resiliency, and improve quality of life throughout the region.

Horton is a senior advisor at the Milken Institute, a member of the California Economic Mobility and Entrepreneurship task force, and participates on a number of advisory boards, including Lift to Rise, WorkingNation, and Altasea.