Matthew Kopans

Matthew Kopans is Director of Individual Giving for Planned Parenthood of Greater New York. He lives blocks away from Pitney Meadows with his wife Dana, twins Zachary and Eden, two cats, and a very big dog.

He graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in Public Policy and worked as a lighting design, electrician, and production manager for theaters in New York City and Boston before moving to Pittsburgh we he received a Masters in Theatre Studies from the University Of Pittsburgh and a Master in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University. He moved to Saratoga in 2006 working for nonprofits including Universal Preservation Hall, Albany Pro Musica, and the Waldorf School before starting as a Fundraiser for Planned Parenthood.

Much to the chagrin of his father (an avid, self-taught gardener) Matt has never been able to grow vegetables. But as an avid home cook, Matt was drawn to the produce at Pitney from it's opening. Being able to cook vegetables picked less than 1000 feet from his stove was a revelation for someone who couldn’t successfully grow a tomato in his backyard.

As someone who believes that building and supporting community is the primary work of not-for-profits, Matt sees Pitney as a community space as much as a farm. He hopes to help it grow so that it can serve as a hub for the Saratoga community, a way to improve lives of everyone in the area, and a place where folks from all backgrounds can come to walk their dogs, meet with friends, pick up fresh food to make for dinner, and be able to enjoy the wide open space - even if they cannot grow a cucumber to save their life.