Matthew Houghton has a favorite quote from Warren Bennis, pioneer of modern leadership principles, which helps guide him as Chief Program Officer for Child Development at the Y: Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. This resonates with Matthew because he understands how exciting and motivating it is to be part of a dynamic leadership team.
With 35 years of educational leadership experience under his belt, mostly as a public school principal, Matthew joined the Y in 2024 because he was excited to use his leadership skills in a nonprofit setting and to work with a more diverse team. “It could be isolating as a principal, “he recalled. “Having close working relationships with leaders across all the Y’s departments is exciting because there’s so much variety. You’re seeing generations of people come through the doors every single day. The whole community is represented at the Y.”
Developing high quality, fun, safe, and affordable early childhood and schoolage programs at the Y is a priority for Matthew along with building relationships and trust with students, parents, staff, and the community. He stresses the importance of mentorship, something he experienced with a former school superintendent who taught him how authentic, kind, and caring relationships bring out the best in people.
When he’s not at work, Matthew enjoys motorcycle riding, soccer, running, nutrition, and fitness. He recently benched 135 lbs. as part of a Y challenge and loves to cook, especially big holiday meals. He’s instituted Banana Bread Friday at the Y and admits to thinking about food – a lot.
That might be because he grew up in the restaurant/gift shop business. His family ran the Sea Gull Shop beside the Pemaquid Point lighthouse in Damariscotta for 40 years. “I learned people skills, math, marketing, and the importance of being part of a team,” recalls Matthew who was in high school at the time. It’s also where he first got fired. His mother tired of him turning up late to work and let him go. “That was an eye opener,” admits Matthew who got rehired two days later. “I learned quickly about being more responsible.”
When he wants some quiet time Matthew likes to listen to Van Morrison, a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. Spending time with his family in Monroe is a true joy as is time doing woodworking, another passion. Some lucky people will get handcrafted birdhouses and bee boxes as Christmas gifts this year!