Welcome To The Lee County Property Appraiser's Office
Matt Caldwell is a 7th generation Florida native, whose family came to Micanopy in 1826. Matt was born in
Gainesville but grew up in Lee County where he met his wife, Yvonne. They live there today, where they
raise their daughter, Ava. In his private life, Matt is a deacon at their church, Gulf Coast Church of
Christ and spends time focused on his timber and cattle business. He also enjoys the outdoor lifestyle
that Florida offers: fishing, golfing, kayaking, hunting, and camping, to name a few.
Lee County Property Appraiser
Matthew H. Caldwell
After attending local schools in Lee County, Matt received his Associate’s Degree from Edison College,
a Bachelor of Arts in History from Florida Gulf Coast University, and a Master of Science in Forestry
Resources and Conservation with a concentration in Geomatics from the University of Florida.
While an undergraduate, he began his career as a real estate appraiser, ultimately joining the firm of
Maxwell, Hendry, Simmons in 2004, where he remains of counsel. He has attained the highest state certification
in his field and is qualified as an expert witness in multiple state and federal courts.
Matt was the Republican nominee for Florida State Senate, District 27, in 2008, and a member of the Florida
House of Representatives from 2010-2018. During his tenure, he served on and chaired several committees
including: tax policy, redistricting, insurance & banking, agriculture & natural resources/public lands,
transportation & infrastructure, local, federal, & military affairs, and oversight of government operations,
such as pensions & elections. He is proud to have sponsored, and have the Governor sign into law, dozens of
bills, including those related to agriculture, natural resources, public safety, cannabis reform, medical care,
criminal justice reform, pensions, and term limits, among others. He also served on the Board of the Assembly of
State Legislatures, a national organization focused on the implications of Article V of the US Constitution. In
2018, he was the Republican nominee for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
In 2019, Matt joined TM Strategic Consulting as a partner until he was elected to serve as the Lee County
Property Appraiser, following the retirement of 40-year incumbent Ken Wilkinson in 2020. As the author
of numerous Constitutional Amendments, including Save Our Homes, Working Waterfronts, and Portability,
Wilkinson set a standard of excellence for public service. Matt is proud to continue Ken’s legacy as an
advocate for the taxpayer; using the platform as a Constitutional Officer to support good government at
the local, state, and federal levels.
Outside of serving in elected office, Matt volunteered for appointment to various governmental committees
regarding financial oversight, audits, land use and transportation. He championed Everglades restoration as a
member of the Lake Okeechobee Water Resources Advisory Committee (2006 – 2008) and has impacted us locally
with his presence on the constitutional review of the Lee County Charter (2008), and the M-CORES Southwest-Central
Florida Task Force (2019 – 2020). After returning to elected life, he supplemented his public service as a member
of the OPPAGA Local Government Efficiency Task Force (2021), and was a board member and chair of the FGCU Center
for Agribusiness Advisory Committee (2019 – 2024). Matt continues to be a strong presence in our community, as a
member of the Real Estate Investment Society of SWFL and serves on the board of the Florida Association of Property
Appraisers and the Richloam Museum. He is also the incoming president of the Florida State Parks Foundation and
served as a volunteer co-chair for the successful "Yes on 2", the Right to Hunt and Fish, effort for the 2024 ballot.