Even by Park City standards, fishing between meetings is pretty hardcore outdoors. Say hello to Pat Matheson. “Just give me 45 minutes on the middle Provo,” says the Director of Mountainlands Community Housing Trust with a smile.
Pat’s travels – years in South Africa and two years as a church missionary in Fiji – deepened his appreciation for nature (“I’ve always loved the mountains”) and sharpened his eye for how housing affects everyday life around the world. “I love seeing how the design of cities and homes influences how we behave,” he says.
His interest eventually led Pat to one of society’s most complex issues: housing for those in need. “I love creative problems solving, and there is certainly a lot of that!” he laughs. “With a small group like ours, we thrive on ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.”
Pat’s ideals are informed with a touch of humility. “We serve in equitable ways that respect the environment, which is critical if we are going to live well on this beautiful planet,” he says. “But virtues can become vices, so we should guard against entitlement, selfishness and envy that can plague us all, especially in an area of such prosperity.”
Active and thoughtful, Pat’s wintertime activities usually take him on long ski jaunts deep into the woods, “but I will do anything outdoors with my amazing spouse and our two curious little kids,” he avers.
No matter where Pat is, the sound of music is never far away, though not the Julie Andrews variety. “Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ is my favorite album of all time,” he states.
On the album’s Boy in the Bubble, Simon sings, “These are the days of miracles and wonders.”
We get the feeling Pat has that in mind every day, passionately taking on the most daunting challenges with optimism, faith and joy.
