In the News | 2023’s Class of 40 Under 40: Tyler Mathews of ETM

Article by: James Cannon | Jacksonville Business Journal | To view the full article, click here.

The Jacksonville Business and its panel of local business leaders have spent weeks poring over a record number of 40 Under 40 nominations to pick this year’s class of honorees. The result is a group of young men and women who are not just shaping Jacksonville today but are also helping the city reach new heights in the future. Hailing from a range of industries and background, these honorees were selected based on the impact they have had on their organizations, on the business community and on the First Coast overall.


Tyler Mathews

President/Shareholder- ETM

What has been your biggest accomplishment over the course of your career? Leading ETM, has been one of the pivotal moments of my career. ETM is a 302-person infrastructure and development consulting firm serving as Trusted Advisors, Creating Community throughout the region. Our experts serve behind the scenes shaping the region (from Savannah to Tampa) on projects such as the Four Seasons, Brooklyn, Baptist Health, FIS tower, Nocatee, Wildlight, State Road 9B, JTA Bay Street Innovation Corridor, St. Johns Town Center, JEA small diameter pipe replacement, and beyond.

I took the role of President at the end of 2021 and just finished my first full year in the job. Each day is filled with hard work and passion that has allowed me to make incredible personal and professional progress. I am incredibly thankful for our dedicated team and our never-ending commitment to success. Seeing how our efforts will positively impact the community we serve has been exciting. When I think of what our team is accomplishing, I reflect on two perspectives that are the current biggest accomplishment of my career.

1 – Serving as our client’s competitive advantage:

Our motto at ETM is “Trusted Advisors, Creating Community”. This sums up our commitment to our clients. We serve behind the scenes in this industry on many of the region’s most dynamic public infrastructure and private development projects. Creating Community in everything we do, is our ‘Why’ and what we are most passionate about. We are focused on the end user, the complete project, and how these will shape our regions for decades.

2- We are always striving to be the best place to build a career:

It is truly an honor and privilege to be a part of such a fantastic organization focused on cultivating meaningful, successful careers. The dedication bestowed upon each individual shines through all that we accomplish. At ETM, there are endless possibilities for development and growth, creating an engaging and rewarding working environment that makes ETM truly special. We are committed to providing the essential resources, guidance, and motivation to help our employees thrive. From training opportunities, to addressing industry challenges, and access to mentorships and internships, our goal is to encourage growth at every level. 

How are you involved in the community outside of work (board positions, etc.)? * – Real Estate and Infrastructure Games – We created and hosted the first ever Real Estate and Infrastructure Games this past year where we gathered 150 participants (representing 18 firms) to join in a field day competition raising more than $18,000 for the American Heart Association, where I served on an Executive Cabinet for Heart Challenge:

* – Hightower Fellowship – I was in the inaugural class of the Hightower Fellowship in 2017 and then served as a board member and first Chairman of the Board until December 2021.

* – JaxBiz Board – I currently serve as a Board Member on JaxBiz, the Political Advisory Committee affiliated with the JaxChamber.

* – JaxChamber Board – I am joining the Board of Directors at the JaxChamber January of 2023

* – Association of Florida Community Developers, Member – this association of professionals is

focused on lobbying in Tallahassee for issues that face the business of Community Development

* – Urban Land Institute, Community Development Product Council Member – we meet twice a

year to discuss issues prevalent to Community Development across the state of Florida.

How do you show leadership through your job? I see it as my responsibility to continually improve upon the strong foundation set by those before me. I am focused daily on guiding and monitoring the progress of the firm, making sure that ETM is our client’s competitive advantage, and that ETM is the best place for all 302 of my colleagues to build their career.

What about the First Coast are you proudest of? Our business environment in Jacksonville is something that I am very proud of. I am continually blown away by how welcoming and friendly people are here, even with their business competitors. Our people are our asset here and this is obvious to every newcomer to Jacksonville that I have the opportunity to spend time with.

How do you help the next generation of leaders? The main way for me to mentor the next generation is to foster an environment of mentorship & development within ETM. One main way we accomplish is through our “Accelerator Program”. The ETM Accelerator exists to pair current college students with a mentor at ETM where they work up to 15 hours per week (either remotely or in person) on real projects with real teams. We have hired many ETM employees from the Accelerator Program and today we have 16 students working with our Accelerator Program.

Other ways that we foster this culture within our organization include participating in community programs such as hiring through Construction Ready Jacksonville, mentoring at Highlands Middle School, and volunteering at Construction Career Days.

Outside of ETM, I am invested in the JaxChamber Hightower Fellowship where I am the Past Chairman. This program existed with the singular focus of investing in the next generation of leaders and pairing them with “titans” of our community. I am thrilled to see Fellows from this program mature dramatically in their role in our community in a just a few short years.

What do you think the community needs to do more of to shape the next generation? Relationships/Mentorship – I am a huge believer in pairing people with experience, perspectives, and ideas with young people and pairing the next generation of leaders with the energy to drive it forward. I am proud of what we accomplished with the Hightower Fellowship to drive this exact goal forward.

Thinking back on advice you have received, what had the most impact on you? “Life is a game of addition, not subtraction. The way to win is to build a bigger tent and bring people under it” – Mike Hightower

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