Veterans Day Hits Close to Home in Elk Grove Village
November 2025
In addition to several business leaders in the community, our very own Business Development Coordinator for Elk Grove Village Matt Higgs served in the United States Air Force. We sat down with Matt to ask him bout his time in the military and how that experience has shaped his life and career.
Can you share a bit about your time in the Air Force—what inspired you to join, and what was your role?
I joined because I wanted direction. I was young, curious, and wanted to be part of something that mattered. I was fortunate enough to have some family members with long careers in the military who were able to help me make the right decision, which was a big help. The Air Force gave me that and more. I served as an Aircraft Hydraulic Systems Technician, working on both the KC-135 and KC-46 refueling aircraft, fixing broken airplanes, inspecting systems, and performing routine maintenance to keep them mission-ready. It was highly technical work, but what I really learned was how to work with people. You realize pretty quickly that no one succeeds alone. Everyone depends on each other, and that creates a sense of responsibility that stays with you long after you take off the uniform.
How did your time in the military shape your values or perspective on life?
The military taught me that consistency and integrity are everything. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being dependable. People need to know they can count on you, not just when things are going well but when they aren’t. I also came to value humility. No matter how experienced you are, there’s always someone who knows more about something than you do. The best teams I’ve seen were built on mutual respect, not ego. And one of the best parts of military life is meeting people from all different backgrounds and perspectives. It gives you a better understanding of people from all walks of life and how much stronger we are when we learn from each other.
What’s something about your military experience that most people would never expect?
A lot of people imagine the military as rigid and mechanical, but there’s a lot of heart in it. You see people at their best and worst, and you learn compassion in ways you don’t expect. You also end up using creativity more than people think, figuring out how to make things work with limited time, resources, or information. It’s not just discipline and order; it’s also adaptability and care for the people beside you.
What leadership principles from your Air Force experience have guided your approach in business development?
Leadership, at its core, doesn’t change much from one setting to another. You treat people with respect, you communicate clearly, and you hold yourself accountable first. I’ve found that if you focus on helping others succeed, you’ll rarely go wrong. In the Air Force, I learned that people don’t remember how loud you were, they remember how steady you were when things got tough. That same steadiness is what builds trust in business.