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Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

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Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

Please enter your name, email and zip code below to sign up!

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Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

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Leadership Image

Leadership

Lt. Colonel Michele Matthews

Area Commander

Michele Matthews serves as the Area Commander for Sarasota County, responsible for all Salvation Army programs and services provided in the county. 

She grew up as a child of Salvation Army officer parents, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from Asbury College with a double major in psychology and social services.  Michele later obtained a Bachelor of Science in nursing from The Johns Hopkins University.

After working for a few years as a registered nurse in the critical care field and meeting the love of her life, Michele entered The Salvation Army Training College.  She was commissioned as an officer in June 1999 and married Ward Matthews the next day.

Michele & Ward served together as corps officers (executive directors) in Greensboro, NC, and then as Area Commanders in Charlotte.  They then served at the regional office for the Caribbean Territory, located in Kingston, Jamaica.  Michele served as the Chief Development Officer, responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring and reporting on the many community development projects that the Army was implementing throughout 16 countries in the Caribbean.  

Upon returning to the US from Jamaica in 2009, the Matthews took up their new appointment as the leadership team of the Army’s work in the DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) Metroplex, the largest appointment of its type in the US.  In June of 2015, the Matthews were appointed to the Army’s corporate office for the southeastern US where Michele served as the Territorial Pathway of Hope Director, responsible for the implementation of a new national initiative working to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.  

In January 2018, they began work at The Salvation Army’s national office in Alexandria, Virginia, where Michele served as National Director for Social Services and Public Policy.  In January 2021 the Matthews headed south to Florida to oversee the Army’s work in Sarasota County.

Soon after arriving, Ward had to step back and retire early due to health reasons. Michele continues serving in Sarasota County in her 26th year as a Salvation Army officer. She is the proud mom of two wonderful adult children, Colter and Katie, who both live in North Carolina.

What Do We Do?

We have one agenda: to meet
human need without discrimination.

We assist approximately 30 million
Americans annually.

We serve in 130 countries around the globe.

We have over 1.5 million members
consisting of officers, soldiers, and adherents.

We’ve been pursuing our mission since 1865.

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Where We Serve

We are the United States Southern Territory, which serves communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, District of Columbia (National Capital) and West Virginia. We’re one of four territories in the U.S. and part of an International organization, headquartered in London. The other U.S. territories are: West, East and Central. Salvation Army territories are made up of areas of service known as divisions. There are 40 divisions in the U.S. – we oversee 8 of them. Divisions consist of centers for worship and service. These are the hubs where service to members of the community actually occurs. Our doors are open to all.

 

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