Matt Nutt

Matt has always been interested in horticulture throughout his life. As a child he was given an orchid by his parents, which started his life-long passion for the hobby and fascination with orchids. He joined the AOS when he was in middle school and began entering plants and exhibits at local orchid shows in high school. He also began clerking at local orchid shows and at the Mid-American Judging Center's monthly judging. While in college (2000-2005), at the University of Arkansas, Matt joined the AOS Judging program as a student judge. All through college he worked with the University of Arkansas Herbarium (UARK) on the Arkansas Vascular Floral Project which produced the 'Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas' in 2013. His love for the outdoors, paired with his love for plants, made this collaborative effort a great way to offset some of the costs of college while doing things he enjoyed. He graduated with a BS in Horticultural Science in 2005. Currently Matt is an accredited judge in the Mid-American Judging Center where he is the Vice-Chair. Previously he also served as Chair and Training Coordinator for the center as well.

Professionally, Matt works for the Missouri Department of Public Safety within the Missouri Interoperability Center. This position works with approximately 66,000 first responders throughout the state supporting emergency communications of roughly 1,600 public safety agencies.