Darin Matthews, a procurement leader with over 25 years of experience in the field, began his role as chief procurement officer in January 2022. After starting out as a warehouse worker and truck driver, Matthews eventually moved on to serve as the chief procurement officer for UC Santa Cruz and Portland State University before landing his current role at Cal Poly.
Matthews is a well-known author, having published several books on procurement and supply chain management. He is also a columnist for Government Procurement magazine and former host of the podcast, The Evolution of Procurement.
Outside of procurement, Matthews enjoys live music, wine tasting, riding motorcycles and volunteering. He has given his time and energy to Portland Teen Parent Services, Cascade AIDS Foundation, and the Sustainable Procurement Working Group, which he co-chaired from 2017-2019. Under his leadership, both Portland State and UC Santa Cruz established new sustainable procurement policies. The latter included a requirement that sustainability and diversity be included in the selection criteria for all RFPs.
Along with his partner, Dana, he is living his best life in Arroyo Grande.