In Chapter 7 of 18 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, public affairs and communications strategist Matt Curtis answers "What Does It Mean to Be a Leader in What You Do?" Curtis aims to make his a community a better place that he found it. He notes the challenges that come with leading in a fast growing city of Austin, Texas. He notes it requires defining goals, effective messaging, recruitment of the messengers, and then securing commitments from individuals and organizations to work toward goals. Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was communications director for Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. In 2011, Curtis won "Austinite of the Year" in the Austin Under 40 Awards. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas.