The Starved Rock Foundation has a new president: 25-year-old Matthew Klein took over the roll on Jan. 15, succeeding Pam Grivetti.

Klein has experience with the foundation, a history with Starved Rock and a love for the park.

“I am excited,” Klein said. “I am ready for the challenge of being the president of the foundation.”

Klein is a decorated photographer, videographer and entrepreneur from the Illinois Valley who has already done a lot for the park and the foundation, both as a visitor and as a board member.

A 2018 graduate of La Salle-Peru High School, Klein joined the Starved Rock Foundation Board of Directors in 2022. Last year, he served as the foundation’s vice president.

“He’s been involved since he was a boy. I know he’s loved Starved Rock his whole life, so it was natural for him to step into this position,” foundation vice president Mike Toohey said.

Starved Rock helped Klein begin his photography career. He began when he was 16 and, a year later, Klein co-founded his media production company, reelCreative.

“That was kind of an accident. I had a drone and my friend had drones. We were creating different cool little drone shots of Peru that we posted on Facebook and people would share it,” Klein said. “People would say, ‘Hey, could you bring your drone to our business and take some photos?’ ... And then one project just led to the next.”

Klein’s business drew the attention of Unrealistic Productions, which featured Klein’s work in an HBO original documentary in 2021.

“It was not only a really cool experience, but it was also super challenging because it was very specific,” Klein said. “I licensed them many clips I already had captured that they used in the show, but then there were also some specific ones that kind of challenged me.”

Klein is grateful for the challenge, though, and what it has led to, one of which was to take his photos of the park and create a calendar out of them for himself and a small group of friends and family.

People loved it and more clamored for a calendar the next year. This went on until Klein approached the Starved Rock Foundation about making his calendars part of a fundraiser for Starved Rock.

Klein’s calendars have raised over $40,000 in support of Starved Rock. In total, the Starved Rock Foundation has donated goods and services amounting to over $500,000 to Starved Rock.

It wasn’t long after the fundraiser that Klein became a board member for the foundation.

“He came in with a different energy,” Starved Rock Foundation bookstore manager Robbin Keenan said. “He’s kind of brightened things up with more people, younger people and more ideas.”

In the time that Klein has been a board member, the Starved Rock Foundation added an audio-visual system, updated the museum, the lighting in the Starved Rock State Park Visitor’s Center, and much more.

“We’re not done,” Klein said. “It’s like ‘What else can we help with? How can we improve the trails? What can we do to amplify a different part of the visitor experience?’ We just want to deliver a great experience for our visitors.”

The Capital Development Board of the state of Illinois allocated $18M for a project that will upgrade the trails in the park, although the foundation is not directly involved with that.

The Starved Rock Foundation has been in existence since 1991. Klein appreciates the work that has been done before his arrival by the former president Pam Grivetti and all of the previous board members.

“Over the past five years, we’ve seen a really good amount of growth, with interest from new volunteers, new ideas, and our group at the park has been really receptive towards them,” he said.

Some of those ideas have been implemented already.

The barriers to entry for becoming a member have been largely eradicated. The Starved Rock Foundation has opened an avenue to become a member online, rather than offering solely in-person applications.

Last summer, the foundation invited some high school students who needed volunteer hours into the park, and the students pitched in around the park.

“Now we have a website. Now we have social media. Those are all relatively new things. Our team has updated over the past few years,” Klein said. “There’s a lot of opportunities for us in marketing and communications.”

Through all of the transitions, projects and initiatives, Klein’s responsibilities with the Starved Rock Foundation haven’t dimmed his desire to enjoy the park as a visitor.

“I love photographing landscapes and I’m now getting more into wildlife. I like experiencing these natural places that are often just empty. I think it’s a super good way for me to disconnect and like take a reset from the hustle and bustle,” Klein said. “When you go out hiking, it’s even better when there’s no service. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh my god, I don’t have service.’ Like, that’s the point.”

Klein is a co-founder of Starved Rock Hikers, a community-driven organization focused on sharing trail information, park resources, and a deeper understanding of the landscape.

Klein wants others to join in the appreciation of Starved Rock and be involved in the park, citing becoming a member, finding a way to volunteer, or even leading a hike.

Klein is grateful for the support staff around him that help the Starved Rock Foundation function.

While Klein doesn’t know what his future holds, he’s content with where he is.

“I didn’t intend to go to the big city where the big opportunities supposedly are. I feel like I’m a person who is very much driven in terms of when you have a project, you want to get it done,” Klein said. “If you have an idea, if you have a project, it’s pretty realistic to make that happen. I’m proud to call the area home and I don’t have any intentions to leave.”