Matt Valenzuela
Chairman, Communications Committee · Finance Committee · Technology Committee · Reunion Committee
Matt Valenzuela grew up in Brentwood, California, and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2006. He spent five years in the infantry with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, deploying to Ramadi and with the 24th MEU in 2010, and left the Corps as a Sergeant in 2011.
After the Marine Corps he returned to local government, working in engineering and GIS, then left in 2016 to build a creative practice full time. He owns Illume Multimedia, a brand and multimedia studio, and is finishing a BFA in Advertising at Academy of Art University. He lives in Oakley, California, with his girlfriend, Kaylieann, and his two dogs, Mattis and Gunner.
Matt has served on the Board twice, from 2017 to 2019 and again since 2022, including as Vice President of Operations. He built the Association’s first modern website, reformatted The Proud Warrior as an editorial magazine, led the creation of The Walking Dead podcast, and led the project team for the Association’s brand strategy and visual identity. He has also led the effort to capture veteran history on video since 2018, and modernized the systems a remote volunteer staff relies on.