Meet Matt Pries
From an early age, Matt Pries understood the importance of family. The son of a Lutheran minister, Matt’s family moved several times while he was growing up which meant they forged a close bond that still exists today. The modeling of such connectedness stayed with Matt. He and his wife of 20 years, Heidi, have two sons, Owen (18) and Alex (16). They have lived in Grimes since 2006 where they have made certain their boys know family and faith are the priorities. Together, they love to play games, watch movies, shows, and sports, cook and bake, travel, and serve others.
Matt and his family have been faithful members of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Grimes for 15 years. Matt has been leading children’s music and Vacation Bible School for most of those years. He has also served as chair of the Transition Task Force, a member of the Call Committee, a member of the choir, an assisting minister, lector, and usher/greeter.
In addition to Matt’s involvement in his church, he is active in the community. For over 10 years, he has offered a running camp each summer for young children through Grimes Parks and Recreation. He serves as a regular announcer at DCG home basketball games, and has served as an emcee at show choir competitions in DCG and Waukee.
Matt earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Wartburg College in 1995, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a double major in English and Secondary Education. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Northern Iowa in 2004. Matt has been called to education for nearly 30 years, the last 16 at Waukee High School, where he has been an English instructor and more recently Literacy Interventionist; he has also advised a service group, RAK (Random Acts of Kindness), throughout his tenure. Matt is also an assistant girls track and field coach at Northwest High School and head boys cross country coach at Dallas Center-Grimes High School. As a coach, he has been part of eight girls track and field state titles at Waukee, two as head coach, and has led DCG to three straight state cross country titles.
Matt has been honored as a WHO TV-13 Golden Apple Award Winner, the Woodmen Life Contribution to Youth Award, and has earned multiple coaching honors, including Iowa’s All Sports Coach of the Year in 2021 and was one of three finalists for USA Today’s 2021 National All Sports Coach of the Year.
Matt believes serving others is something to which we are all called and is excited about answering the call to run for State Senate. He is committed to working for unity; he will be an advocate for public education and mental health; he will be a voice for diversity, striving to ensure all people have access to the services they need; he will stand for responsible use of our resources in an effort to help Iowa be a leader in sustainability and demonstrate concern for future generations; Matt wants to help our state become a happier, healthier place for all people.