Lieutenant Matthew J. Previts

Deputy Department Head,

NR Navy Special Warfare IWC 18

Lieutenant Matthew J. Previts was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and raised on the majestic shores of Lake Erie in Rocky River, Ohio and resides there with his lovely wife Lisa and their children Abigail, Caleb, and Clara. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Spring Hill College, a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Management of Information System from Case Western Reserve University.

He was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy via the Direct Commission Officer Program onboard the USS Cod on May 7, 2015. LT Previts is a information warfare qualified IP officer. LT Previts has competed tour with the Office of Naval Intelligence and served on support missions to the 5th Fleet in Bahrain and 7th Fleet in Japan.

LT Previts planned and executed a 7-day trip for 4 of the 5 living USS Arizona survivors to Pearl Harbor, HI for the 75th commemoration of the attack. He also planned and executed a 5-day trip for 3 of the 5 living USS Arizona survivors to Washington, D.C., including meetings with POTUS, SECDEV, CNO, CJCS, MCPON and 4 US Senators and Wreath Laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Tour of WWII Memorial, Pentagon, and White House. LT Previts led the successful effort to secure a posthumous Bronze Star with Combat V for BMC Joseph Leon George, which was presented posthumously to the family BMC Joseph Leon George for his courageous acts saving the lives of six USS Arizona sailors on 7DEC41.. He planned and executed 1st and only awards ceremony onboard the USS Arizona Memorial.

He served as the in-city planner for Navy Week Cleveland in 2018 and recently led the Mobile Communications team for Navy Special Warfare Seal Team 18 IWC. LT Previts was by-name selected for a SOCOM detachment that deployed to Afghanistan in support of NATO Special Operations Command Component Afghanistan and Special Operations Joint Task Force Afghanistan in 2020

A lifelong Clevelander, Matt works for Logicalis, Inc an international technology firm serving commercial, government, and education clients. Matt is a founding board member of the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation. He serves as a board member for the Foundry Rowing and Sailing Center, board chair for the Gold Star Family Memorial Monuments in Cleveland and Dayton and board member of the Union Club and the US Navy Memorial. He previously served as chairman of the Midwest Scholastic Rowing Association and on the board of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland, NEOPAT, and the USO of Northern Ohio. Matt was recognized in 2016 by Crain’s Cleveland Business as Top 40 under the age of 40 leader in Cleveland.