Engaging Leaders Podcast Welcomes Joe DeMattos '08

Season 2, Episode 5: Crisis 101: Over-Communicating, the Alignment of Control, and Finding Balance In-Between

“Seek examples of effective leadership in unusual places—go out of your way to thank people and listen to what they share with you.” – Joseph DeMattos ‘08

In this episode, Eric Brotman ‘09, and guest host Eliot Pfanstiehl (LM) are joined by Joseph DeMattos ‘08, president of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM). During the conversation, Eric, Eliot, and Joseph discuss leadership lessons from COVID-19—particularly in the healthcare industry—and how to lead from where you are, while understanding the importance of over-communication and the mirage of control during crisis.
 
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In this episode, we discuss:

• How leaders identify what they can vs. what they can’t control and how the alignment of control makes a difference during times of crisis
• The impact of COVID-19 on skilled nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and more and how healthcare leaders successfully navigated specific aspects of the pandemic
• How to distill what you know vs. what you don’t know, and prioritizing information to be shared based on importance and urgency of nature
• The benefits of a public-private partnership during times of adversity
• The overall multi-generational impact of experiencing a different kind of world war

 
About our guest:
In April 2009, Joseph DeMattos, Jr., MA became president of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM) – the oldest and largest long-term care association in the state representing skilled nursing, sub-acute facilities, assisted living programs, and continuing care retirement communities. As president, DeMattos is responsible for managing and leading HFAM, a voluntary provider community association chartered in 1948 as the Maryland Nursing Home Association.
 
Prior to joining HFAM, DeMattos was AARP’s senior state director of Maryland—which has more than 875,000 members. He was responsible for the management of the AARP Maryland State Office in Baltimore, and charged with directing the organization’s advocacy, community service, and educational activities statewide.
 
DeMattos served in leadership roles for AARP’s Medicare Prescription Drug and Social Security campaigns. Prior to becoming state director, DeMattos was AARP’s interim Director of Advocacy where he directed government relations and advocacy nationwide.
 
DeMattos has more than 28 years of professional and community service experience in the fields of communications, community outreach, public relations, and government relations.
 
Before joining AARP, DeMattos was a government relations and crisis communications practitioner at a prominent Hawaii public relations firm. DeMattos served on Hawaii Governor John Waihee’s Executive Chamber staff and on the Office of Information staff. In Hawaii, DeMattos also served on the staff of the Attorney General and as a legislative aide in the State House.
 
DeMattos is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and is also a past president of the University of Hawaii Alumni Association. DeMattos holds a Master of Arts in Government from Johns Hopkins University. He has completed executive education studies in Management at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. He is also an alumnus of the Pacific Century Fellows Program, a Hawaii-Pacific program modeled after the White House Fellows. He is an alumnus of the Leadership Maryland Class of 2008.

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