Meet Matt Hood, Board Member of Historic Port Royal, Inc

Matt Hood contributes his time and expertise to both the Building Committee and the Events Committee of Historic Port Royal. He enjoys historic preservation and bringing people together while helping protect and celebrate the architectural character that makes Port Royal unique.

Born and raised in Long Beach, California, Matt developed an early curiosity about the world beyond his hometown. While studying abroad at the University for Foreign Students in Aix-en-Provence, France, he learned French and began traveling extensively throughout Europe, including extended stays in Madrid, Spain, and Munich, Germany. During this time he worked in the fashion industry and also served as a French interpreter for a Saudi prince and bodyguard for a French pop star—experiences that deepened his appreciation for language, culture, and art.

Matt has been an avid collector of art and antiques since his teenage years and is especially drawn to objects forgotten or discarded by time. He enjoys restoring them to their former beauty. A passionate music lover, he plays the piano and collects and restores keyboard instruments—particularly rare pianos and reed organs—and is a long-standing member of the Reed Organ Society.

Over the years, Matt has restored and developed properties throughout Southern California, including projects ranging from Spanish rock houses and California bungalows to Art Deco condominiums, custom cliffside homes, and a mid-century inspired desert modern vacation property.

He and his partner Bill came to Port Royal in search of a new challenge—one with history, character, and just the right amount of work: a small town near water with four full seasons, something Southern California lacks.

Professionally, Matt is a certified court reporter and spent nearly a decade working in corporate catering and events management early in his career. Today, his love of people (and food) makes his role as a manager at Trader Joe’s a natural fit.