02/07/2026
When Matt Kollar first came to the North Country as a high school exchange student from Slovakia, he never imagined he’d still be here decades later – raising a family and serving as CFO at Alice Hyde and CVPH.
He expected great schools. But it was the beauty of the region that really won him over. After making friends with local skiers, he spent plenty of time at Whiteface — and the mountains did the rest. (Fun fact: our region has roughly the same amount of lift-accessible skiable vertical as Breckenridge, Colorado. ❄️)
He returned for college at SUNY Plattsburgh, planning to study business before moving on. But a strong international program, a competitive scholarship and — most importantly — meeting his future wife (a local) changed everything.
Today, Matt says the outdoors help keep him grounded. His family is outside year-round: skiing and skating in winter, biking, hiking, kitesurfing and wingfoiling on Lake Champlain whenever the wind cooperates. His advice for newcomers? There’s no such thing as bad weather — only bad gear.
If he had to convince someone to move here, Matt keeps it simple: this area offers incredible value. World-class outdoor recreation, great schools, well-paying jobs and a cost of living that’s hard to beat — plus Montreal is just a short drive away.
And the biggest reason the North Country feels like home? The people.
“I met and made friends quickly,” Matt says. “Starting a family just made it official.”
