Matt Woodruff is Vice President of Public & Government Affairs of Kirby Corporation, the nation’s largest operator of tank barges and a national leader in the distribution and service of heavy machinery. He has headed government affairs for Kirby since 2004. A sixth generation Texan, he is a 1982 graduate of Texas A&M University and a 1985 graduate of the University of Houston Law Center. A maritime lawyer by background, Matt has spent his career advocating for maritime interests.
Matt serves and has served in many roles within the American maritime industry. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the American Waterway Operators and is a Past President of the American Maritime Partnership. He has served as President of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association, President of the Texas Waterway Operators Association, Chairman of the Clean Channel Association, Chairman of the National Waterways Foundation, founding Chairman of the Maritime Sector Coordinating Council and Chairman of the Waterways Council, Inc. He remains active in each of those groups as well as others. He is past Vice Chairman of the Inland Waterways Users Board and serves on the Texas Freight Advisory Committee.
Matt is also active in civic and community affairs. He is mayor pro tempore of the City of Hedwig Village, Texas and the city’s Fire Commissioner. He is an active volunteer with TEXSAR, a statewide search and rescue organization, and is immediate past chairman of its board of directors. His roles in the field include EMT, Swiftwater Rescue Technician and boat operator. He is an emeritus director and past chairman of the Galveston Bay Foundation. He retired as a Commander from the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he served as an intelligence officer. He has been married to his wife, Margaret, for 42 years. They have two children and two grandchildren. In his spare time, Matt enjoys outdoor pursuits, including hunting, fishing, boating, and tending to a small ranch in South Texas. Most of all, he enjoys spoiling his grandchildren.