Senator Kevin L. Matthews is Membership Chair of the 100 Black Men of Tulsa mentoring organization, and was a charter member of the North Tulsa Rotary Club. He attended Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma from 1978-1981, where he pledged Phi Beta Sigma. Sen. Matthews later earned a degree in Fire Protection Technology while serving 25 years on the Tulsa Fire Department. He retired in January 2010 as the Administrative Fire Chief (Chief of Personnel) of a 694-person Fire Department, with budget responsibility of approximately $52 million. During his career as a Chief Officer, he completed the four-year Middle Management Curriculum at the National Fire Academy, and the five-year Executive Development Institute at Dillard University.