127 Years of Family Serving Family: Matt Beatty, General Manager, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 127 years of family serving family.
Who he is: Matt Beatty, General Manager, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Years with the Exchange: 25
Military connections: Beatty is an Air Force brat and was born in Germany. “My dad, retired Col. Harold J. Beatty, was enlisted for 13 years before becoming an officer and retiring as wing commander at Fort Meade,” he said. “He served 35 total years in the military.”
What he did at first: Food service worker at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart and RAF Mildenhall.
“I met my wife while working at the Exchange when I was 18 or 19 years old,” he said. “I was working at Baskin-Robbins at the food court at RAF Mildenhall, and she worked at Frank’s Franks. Later in life we linked back up.”
From part time to full time: “I hadn’t given the idea of a career with the Exchange much thought prior to my college graduation,” Beatty said. “My mom was tired of signing me into the BX and commissary as a visitor, so she suggested I apply for a job. I had an interview for an hourly job, but John Seward, who was the manager at the time, took note of my four-year degree and asked if I’d be interested in the management trainee program instead.”
What he does now: Beatty manages the largest-volume Exchange in the continental United States and oversees operations at five stores at remote locations in Washington and Oregon, including two Air National Guard sites, one Army National Guard site, one store at a national park and an Army training site.
“As general manager, there are many moving pieces in keeping the team focused and balancing all the operations that allow us to serve those who serve,” he said.
Higher education: Beatty has a bachelor’s degree from University of Tennessee – Knoxville and participated in the Exchange’s tuition assistance program, earning his master’s from Amberton University in human relations and business in 2019.
“It took me 11 years to complete my graduate degree,” he said. “It was challenging at times to balance family, work and school, but at the end of the day it’s something I am proud to have accomplished.”
Family serving family: “When you grow up overseas or go downrange, you really appreciate what the Exchange brings to the table when it comes to quality-of-life,” Beatty said. “The Exchange is part of the military family, and we’re side by side with the service members and their families, showing that we understand their lifestyle. I can’t imagine not being around the military, the people and the installations at this point in my life since I grew up in the culture.”
