Al Matano is a lifetime progressive.
His dad was a draftsman, designing heating and air conditioning ductwork, including work on the original World Trade Center buildings. He instilled in Al a belief in unions, civil rights, and progressive politics. Their summertime vacations to the Adirondacks and New England led to Al’s appreciation for nature.
In fact, when the other kids were at play, Al was working on a Congressional campaign and reading an environmental impact statement (EIS).
At age 14, he worked on the campaign of Allard Lowenstein, active in the civil rights movement, a leader of the anti-war movement; and #7 on Richard Nixon’s enemy list.
At age 16, Al was reading the EIS for the Rye to Oyster Bay Bridge in New York City and deduced its construction would destroy wetlands and hundreds of homes.
Al’s homegrown passion for challenging injustice led to him to attending law school at the College of William and Mary. After working for consulting firms and briefly for a small law firm in the Washington D.C., Al moved to Madison, where he has worked for the State of Wisconsin government for the past 25 years – the past 20 for the Medicaid program.
In his 18 years of service on the Dane County Board of Supervisors, Al has tirelessly put his progressive values to work. From fighting to protect Dane County’s wetlands and watersheds to defending and protecting the homeless members of our community and much more- Al has long pioneered strong progressive politics in Dane County. Visit his issues pages for more on his work and strong vision for Dane County’s future.