Matthew J. 'Matty' Speights

Master of Science in Leadership - In Progress

Bachelor of Science - Business, 08/2002

Associate in Applied Science, 07/2001

Excelsior College, Albany, NY

+ 2 yrs Aerospace Engineering w/ Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Current passport, DL with clean record, OSHA-30, BLS / CPR, and Mine Safety & Health (MSHA) (recertified 2023). All other certifications are either expired (DISA II  Secret clearance [+interim TS], DOE & EDF nuke, NATO badge) or require annual refresher training (RigPass / SafeLand / H2S / equipment operator licenses)

Allison T-56 turboprop engine mechanic, flight mechanic, flight engineer, turbine technician, CAT tech, Siemens drives, solid state devices, aviation QA supervisor, EMT, electronic technician; numerous oilfield, military, and safety certificates... available upon request.  Note:  image above reflects training certs only (not accolades or awards) and is not all-inclusive

Over the years, I've produced hundreds of technical drawings, prints, exploded diagrams, illustrations and designs by hand and using platforms such as CAD, SolidWorks, NGrain, and PhotoShop.  Many of these are part of tech manuals, books, curricula and complete training programs which I've authored or collaborated on and delivered to audiences great and small.

I have written, co-authored and illustrated eleven published books, and for over a decade have written several others bit-by-bit at various stages of completion.  I've been journaling since age 9 and have a small library of chronological notebooks.  Published full-page articles in the Virginian-Pilot and the Midland Reporter-Telegram.  Author of multiple fonts.  Additionally, a very strong and effective business, technical, and legal compliance writer; can create scholarly articles in different styles with little effort, as well as proposals, common legal docs, and quality, safety and operating manuals of any kind, for any industry, compliant to any standards with zero-finding audit results.

Highly skilled finish carpenter (and rough-in / framing carpenter) with a penchant for furniture and toymaking.  Comfortable with all manner of hand and powered woodworking tools--lathes, planers, routers, jointers,  table/mitre/band/jig/scroll/coping saws, carving tools, etc.  Have built libraries, intricate stairways, play houses, tables, chairs, shelves and custom cabinets, beds, doll houses, pirate ships, chess sets and more.  Starting with complete red oak trees that were felled three years prior, transformed these trees into an entire home remodel including an elaborate wine room. 

Began working on residential electrical as a helper beginning in the 8th grade.  Formally trained in schematics and complex electrical systems as a KC-130 First Mechanic and Flight Engineer, responsible for all aircraft systems repairs on the road or inflight.  Honed these skills in the nuclear and oil & gas industries.  Formally trained as both an electrician and electronic tech.  Expert  experience in the repair, installation, complete rebuild, troubleshooting, operation and training of generators, transformers, Silicon-Controlled Rectifiers, Variable Frequency Drives / inverters (Siemens, ABB, Yaskawa), choppers & dynamic brake modules / resistor banks, AC & DC motors up to 1,500 HP (Baldor-Reliance, GE, WEG, Rockwell Automation), PLCs (Siemens, Allen Bradley, Schneider Electric) + programming / remote logic applications, solid-state SBCs (Omron), fiber optics, UPS batteries, HMI monitors, sensors and controls of all types.  Process controls instrumentation & equipment (Emerson, Eaton).  Grounding, armored & shielded cable, cathodic ground protection, lighting protection & lightning dissipation grids.  Class I Div I/II explosive atmospheres.   

Gas combustion, diesel & bi-fuel systems.  Experience to 1,800 HP prime movers (CAT 3512, Cummins KTA50, Detroit Series 60), plus smaller Deutz, John Deere, WPI--and associated trucks & equipment.  Braking systems through auxiliary (Eaton / Wichita), mechanical cranes and aircraft.  O-Level jet and turboprop engine mechanic, + GTCs, APUs and GSE.  Oilfield Top Drives, drawworks, power wrenches, catwalks, torque converters, triplex pumps, centrifugal pumps, agitators, centrifuges, separators, Gas Processing Units, wellheads & BOPs.  Heat exchangers, boilers & power plant condensers.  Steam and wind turbines.  Mechanical & hydraulic cranes.  Hydraulic & pneumatic motors, winches, brakes and other systems.  Gyroscopic & cone-type rock crushers.  Conveyer systems.  Fuel systems.  Heavy equipment.  Shop equipment.  Aviation / medical LOX systems.  Complex gearboxes.  Large compressor systems.  Work with welders, torches, liquid nitrogen and wrenches to 4"; hi-torque bolts to thousands of foot-pounds (intensifiers and hydraulic torque wrenches), machine tolerances to thousandths of an inch.  QA/QC and NDI/T processes, hardness testing, vibration analysis & other conditions monitoring.     

In America's largest oilfield, the Permian Basin of West Texas, there were nearly 700 drilling rigs running in 2014.  Those individual business units, each running 24/7 and each worth between $5M and $35M, had a lot of need for robotics & automation experts with an acute specialization in hydraulic systems and controls technology.  From 2014 - 2020, I was ONE of only THREE field-deployable hydraulic experts living in the region (excluding those who were specialized in only one or two types of equipment).  I know this because most of the drilling companies in the region were my clients, and we all knew who the top maintenance & repair guys were.  If a client had a hydraulic-related emergency--no matter how grandiose--and I couldn't get them off downtime, they'd call for additional help to fly in from Houston, or from out-of-state.  My hydraulic training & experience began in Marine Corps aviation in the 90's and grew exponentially in the E&P / upstream sector of the oil & gas industry, where some of the most critical systems are hydraulic and represent a single point-of-failure.  I can scratch design and build a hydraulic system to automate almost any mechanical process.

Standard Platforms:  intermediate to expert proficiency in MS Office & Project, Google Drive, SharePoint, Oracle Cloud Software including Primavera P6, NetSuite, SAP Concur, E2, NALCOMIS & various CMMS--including older versions of those above;  Creative Software:  Adobe Creative Suite, AutoDesk and more; Technical:  Basic proficiency in Agile method, HTML, SEO, C++, Linux & Java 

American English - native proficiency

German - advanced proficiency

French / Mexican Spanish - basic proficiency

Hungarian / Italian / Iraqi Arabic - extended exposure

Been to 57 countries; have found that gestures of love, respect, and thankfulness are honored in every language and culture 

The image above, pulled from my professional account's Google Timeline, shows my (primarily work-related) travels since 2021.  Always open to work opportunities in any clime or place.

Have read many leadership books and listened to speakers on a variety of business-related, self-improvement, and faith-based relational topics.  Key authors of interest are Covey, Maxwell, Lehman / Pentak, Collins, Lencioni, Kiyosaki, Carnegie, and Paine.

Latest books (2023):  The 6 Types of Working Genius, and The Creative Act:  A Way of Being

Though non-competitive, I am highly driven and love a challenge... with athletic involvement in football, boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, basketball, baseball, soccer, ultra-distance and adventure racing, and triathlons.  Ran my first international marathon at 16, the same year I ice-climbed the Zugspitze and became a USPA freefall parachutist.  Over the years, I've redirected this zeal to create, exploit, and close on opportunities of fiscal importance. Of all personal and professional milestones, the greatest came without awards, medals, or recognition:  the many instances when I saved or improved the lives of people or animals.

Deep personal belief in self-sacrifice, i.e. social, civic, & corporate responsibility.  In addition to a lifetime of life-saving and good works ("last of the Samaritans"), I have volunteered time and resources to more than 50 impactful organizations, beginning early with membership in the Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, and Army JROTC.  While in the Marines, I volunteered multiple times as a substitute teacher for a local elementary school.  2023's support included local charities as well as St. Jude, Casa Hogar, The Blessing Children's Home, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews--Ukraine Fund, the National Police & Troopers Association, SOW Ministries' Orphanage Fund, St. Labre Indian School, and UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation.  In 2024, I led a successful drive to raise funds for the families of Kenyan peacekeepers in Haiti--this police force wasn't paid for nearly two months.  Eventually, the global media caught wind, affecting reconciliation to this noble group.

Leading by example, setting expectations and holding your team accountable... all sound great on paper.  A leader leads in all things, not simply by adding a poignant quote to the signature line of an email.  Whether managing, counseling, coaching, or mentoring--in addition to basic supervisory skills--it takes a symphonic litany of other traits to maximize team effectiveness... such as empathy, detailed instruction, patience, persistence, plain communication and the ability to inspire.  Coaching and managing youth sports is a great way to build, hone, and teach these skills in a permissive environment.

This CV, which can be reached at mattyspeights.com, is published as a page in my personal website, mattysart.com.  Explore the gallery pages to view my works as an author, artist, woodcraftsman and cook.  I collect coins, stamps, cards, script, and self-scouted artifacts... and hobbies in general; a wild-at-heart 'experience junkie' who continually strives for improvement and innovation through collaborative learning. 

At the end of the day, however, I'm a dad--father of eight and a new grandpa--all of my interests and accomplishments would be absolutely meaningless without the love of my family... to each of whom my greatest contribution will be the gifts of curiosity, audacity, and adventure! 

.  .  .

#GirlDad #BoyDad #MarineDad #BaylorDad #FootballDad #BaseballDad #TennisDad #BandDad #OrchestraDad #DramaDad #DebateDad #BalletDad #GymnasticsDad #DanceDad #HorseDad #RifleDad #ScoutDad #FunDad #BadDad #DaddyMcFatty #MattDaddy #KingDaddy #HoosierDaddy #Apu #Papá #Pappy