Rear Admiral Thomas Tracy Matteson became Chief, Office of Personnel in 1987. Prior to this appointment he was Chief, Office of Boating, Public and Consumer Affairs (1985-87).
A native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Admiral Matteson graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He received a Master's degree in management science from the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California and is a 1977 graduate of the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
His first assignment as a Coast Guard officer was aboard Coast Guard Cutter Castle Rock, homeported in Boston. He entered flight training in April, 1961 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. From May 1962 to August 1963 he was assigned as training officer at Coast Guard Air Station Miami.
Admiral Matteson has served in a broad range of responsible staff positions including Rescue Coordination Center Controller, Ninth Coast Guard District, Cleveland (1965); Assistant Operations Officer, Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Washington (1968); Division Chief and Executive Officer, Aviation Training Center, Mobile, Alabama (1976); Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico (1979); Assistant Chief of the Operations Plans and Programs Staff (1969-73); Chief, Aviation Branch (1979-81); and Chief, Officer Personnel Division (1981-82), Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC; Chief, Operations Division, Eighth Coast Guard District, New Orleans (1982-84) and Chief of Staff of the Eighth Coast Guard District, New Orleans (1984-84).
Admiral Matteson's decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, the Coast Guard Commendation Medal with two gold stars, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the Meritorious Unit Award with one gold star, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.
Admiral Matteson is married to the former Dorothy Ruth J. of Springfield, Massachusetts. They have two children, Juliet Marie and Jeffrey Cole.