C Matthew A. Smith joined Bellatti, Fay, Bellatti & Beard as a partner in 1997. Mr. Smith practiced law as an associate with the law  firm of Terwilliger, Wakeen, Piehler, Conway & Klingberg, S.C., in Wausau, Wisconsin, from 1978 to 1981. He joined the Elliott State Bank in Jacksonville, Illinois, as a trust officer in 1981. He held various trust department and management positions with the bank culminating in a  promotion to Executive Vice President and Trust Officer in 1994. He was named by Governor Jim Edgar to serve on the Illinois Fiduciary Advisory Committee. In 1997, he was named Senior Vice President (in charge of Personal Trusts) of FFG, Inc. where he served until joining the Bellatti Law Firm in September. FFG was a Financial Services  subsidiary of Firstbank of Illinois Co. FBIC was the parent company of the Elliott State Bank in Jacksonville.

Mr. Smith graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point (B.S. in Political Science and Philosophy, 1975). He was named a James H. Albertson Award Winner in 1975 and was a four-year varsity basketball letterman. He received his juris doctor from Southern Illinois University School of Law (1978). He was elected all three years to the Ethics Council. He is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and Wisconsin and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Morgan County Bar Association (President, 1994-95) and the Wisconsin Bar Association.

Mr. Smith has been active in the Jacksonville community and has served on the Sherwood Eddy Memorial YMCA Board of Directors (President, 1988-89), the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Board, the Morgan-Cass County Chapter of the American Red Cross Board (Chairman, one year), the Prairieland United Way Board, the Jacksonville Country Club Board, the Board of Directors of the Illinois Foundation for Deaf Children, Inc. and the Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation Board. He was a  member of the Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville (President, 1990-91 and Kiwanian of the Year, 1991-92) and currently serves as chairman of the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees of  Grace United Methodist Church, on the Investment Committee of the Sherwood Eddy Memorial YMCA, and as Past President and member of the Board of Directors of Passavant Area Hospital, all in Jacksonville, Illinois.

Year Joined Organization

• 1997

Areas of Practice

• 40% Estate Planning
• 30% Probate & Estate Administration
• 20% Taxation
• 10% Real Estate

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1982
• Wisconsin, 1978

Education

• Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, Illinois, May, 1978
  Juris Doctor
  
  
• University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, WI, USA, 1975
  B.S.
  Honors: James H. Albertson Award Winner, 1975
  Major: Political Science
  Major: Philosophy
  
  

Honors and Awards

• Kiwanian of the Year, 1991 - 1992

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Illinois State Bar Association, 1982 - Present
  Member
  
  
• Morgan County Bar Association, 1982 - Present
  Member
  
  
• Morgan County Bar Association, 1994 - 1995
  President
  
  
• Wisconsin Bar Association, 1978 - Present
  Member
  
  
• Sherwood Eddy Memorial YMCA, 2003 - Present
  Investment Committee Member
  
  
• Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville
  Past President
  
  
• Grace United Methodist Church
  Investment Committee Chairman
  
  
• Passavant Area Hospital
  Past President of Board of Directors
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Terwilliger, Wakeen, Piehler, Conway & Klingberg, S.C., Wausau, Wisconsin, Associate, 1978 - 1981
• Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, Illinois, Trust Officer, 1981 - 1984
• Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, Illinois, Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer, 1984 - 1987
• Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, IL, Vice President and Trust Officer, 1987 - 1989
• Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, IL, Senior Vice President and Trust Officer, 1989 - 1994
• Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, IL, Executive Vice President and Trust Officer, 1994 - 1996
• FFG, Inc., Senior Vice President , January 1, 1997 - August 31, 1997

Birth Information

• 1953, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America