# About - Link: https://matthummel.com/about/ - Published: 2026-09-11T00:45:50+00:00 - Author: Matthew Hummel About me # Seventeen years of building for the web. I started in higher-ed marketing and kept coming back to WordPress because it gives people real ownership of their site. Today I build themes, plugins, and web apps for businesses and agencies — and write it all down for the next developer. [Say hello](https://matthummel.com/contact/) [Hire me](https://matthummel.com/about/#hire) ![Matt Hummel, WordPress developer](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/194507806? v=4&s=640) Matt Hummel Full-stack and WordPress developer · Gettysburg, PA On this page [Story](https://matthummel.com/about/#story) [Now](https://matthummel.com/about/#now) [What I build](https://matthummel.com/about/#build) [Hire](https://matthummel.com/about/#hire) [Resume](https://matthummel.com/about/#resume) [Process](https://matthummel.com/about/#process) [Code](https://matthummel.com/about/#code) [FAQ](https://matthummel.com/about/#faq) [Elsewhere](https://matthummel.com/about/#elsewhere) Story ## How I got here. I started on the web in higher-ed marketing — landing pages, content updates, and figuring out why a page that looked fine still wasn’t getting clicks. That taught me more about what people need than any course or tool. WordPress is the tool I kept coming back to. Most shops need a site they can edit themselves: update hours, add a product, fix a typo, without waiting on a developer. That still matters to me. These days I build WordPress themes and plugins for shops, tours, and inns, and publish the code on GitHub so other developers can read it. Most of my earlier work lived inside employers, so the public repos are recent. The Power Platform work for enterprise clients is in the resume below; it has no public demo. [Say hello](https://matthummel.com/contact/) [What I'm doing now](https://matthummel.com/about/#now) [ @matthummel-pa (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa) On GitHub since 2025 Full-Stack Web Developer with experience in WordPress and PowerPlatform. * **29** public repos * **66** followers Available [ View GitHub profile → (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa) [ Matt Hummel (opens in a new window) ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hummel-pa) Full-Stack Web Developer with experience in WordPress and PowerPlatform. Gettysburg, PA Open to work [ View LinkedIn profile → (opens in a new window) ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hummel-pa) Now ## What I'm doing right now. A short list of where my time is going — open work, WordPress builds, and writing. * Open for full-time, contract, and freelance WordPress / full-stack work. * Writing short posts on WordPress development — code you can paste in. * Using Cursor AI and Claude to build faster, reviewing every line before it ships. * Raising kids — nights and weekends stay with family. Weekdays I take hireable work. * Working Eastern Time, available for remote and local clients. Nights and weekends belong to my family, not projects. Last updated October 13, 2026 ### Recent posts. [All posts ](https://matthummel.com/blog/) [AI](https://matthummel.com/category/ai/) Oct 15, 2026 9 min ### 󠀁[Why I Built a Claude Code Playbook for WordPress](https://matthummel.com/claude-code-playbook-wordpress/)󠁿 How one public repo of rules, skills and commands keeps Claude Code consistent across every WordPress project I work on, and syncs to every machine on merge. [DEV.to](https://matthummel.com/category/dev-to/) Oct 13, 2026 11 min ### 󠀁[Website Basics for New Developers and Business Owners](https://matthummel.com/website-basics-for-new-developers-and-business-owners-2/)󠁿 The website basics are the same whether you build sites or own one: where a site lives and how it… [Web Development](https://matthummel.com/category/web-development/) Oct 13, 2026 11 min ### 󠀁[Website Basics for New Developers and Business Owners](https://matthummel.com/website-basics-for-new-developers-and-business-owners/)󠁿 The website basics every new developer should learn and every business owner should understand: how a site works, who owns what, backups, and staging. Services ## What I build. WordPress is the specialty. Adjacent work — APIs, React, Power Platform, deploys— is in range because I am a self-taught problem solver with 17 years in-house. ### WordPress sites New sites, sites that need a cleanup, and themes shops can edit themselves. Practical WordPress — not a pile of plugins they will never use. ### Plugins and tools Custom pieces when WordPress needs something it does not ship with. Small, documented, and written so the next developer is not stuck guessing. ### Full-stack web applications React interfaces, PHP or Node services, authentication, databases, APIs, and deployment workflows built as one maintainable system. Curious about a specific project type? [Write a note](https://matthummel.com/contact/). Hire me ## Open for work. Available I’m open to full-time roles, contract work, and freelance projects. I’m based in Gettysburg, PA, and happy to work remote. If you’re hiring a full-stack developer, need an experienced WordPress specialist, want agency overflow support, or have a web project to discuss, send a short note about what you’re working on. Written scope before I start. Custom quotes — no menu of add-ons. [Start a conversation](https://matthummel.com/contact/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hummel-pa) ### Full-time roles Full-stack web development with deep WordPress and PHP experience. Open to on-site, hybrid, or remote. ### Contract and freelance Project-based work with a clear, written scope for shops and agencies. ### Agency sub-contracting A handful of silent-sub jobs. You keep the relationship. I build the WordPress platform, integration, or web application. ### Part-time arrangements A few hours a week or a focused sprint. Flexible. ### What I need from you. You don’t need a finished spec. A short description of the problem is enough. Here’s what helps: * Who the site or app is for * What it needs to do * Any existing sites or references you like * A rough sense of your timeline That’s it. I’ll follow up with clarifying questions or an honest note if I’m not the right fit. ### Ready to write? Use the contact form — a paragraph is plenty. I usually reply within one business day (ET). [Say hello](https://matthummel.com/contact/) Or [message on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hummel-pa) Experience ## Resume. Newest role first. I work with shops and agencies anywhere, and I’m open to full- time, contract, and agency overflow work. [ LinkedIn (opens in a new window) ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hummel-pa) 1. Current 2. ### WordPress Developer 3. [Matt Hummel (opens in a new window)](https://matthummel.com) 4. Current Freelance · Remote 5. * WordPress sites shops can edit, built with Sage 11, Blade, Tailwind, and Vite. * Public themes and plugins on GitHub so other developers can read the work. * Open to agencies, overflow dev work, and full-time roles. Remote anywhere. 6. ### Senior Consultant 7. Saliense 8. Mar 2025 – Jul 2026 Government Contract · Remote 9. * Scoped and delivered Power Platform solutions for federal agency clients — from requirements intake to production deployment. * Built canvas PowerApps replacing legacy paper and email processes for government operations teams. * Designed Power Automate approval flows that reduced manual hand-off time on multi-step government workflows. * Served as technical point of contact between agency stakeholders and the development team. 10. ### Applications and SharePoint Administrator 11. All Native Group · Federal Services Division 12. Dec 2023 – Feb 2025 Government Contract · Remote 13. * Administered SharePoint Online environments across multiple government site collections — permissions, views, content types, and governance. * Migrated legacy InfoPath forms and Designer workflows to PowerApps and Power Automate. * Provided Tier 1 and Tier 2 support to SharePoint and PowerApps users across federal teams. * Documented system configurations and standard operating procedures for handoff. 14. ### SharePoint Web Developer 15. Knowledge Capital Associates — USMC Contractor 16. Sep 2021 – Jun 2022 Government Contract 17. * Built and maintained SharePoint sites for Marine Corps operational teams. * Led migration of SharePoint 2013 on-premises sites to SharePoint Online. * Replaced InfoPath forms with PowerApps and legacy Designer workflows with Power Automate. * Configured site collection architecture, navigation, and permissions to agency standards. 18. ### Web Developer 19. [Germanna Community College (opens in a new window)](https://germanna.edu/) 20. Jul 2011 – Oct 2020 Full-time · Public Information and Marketing 21. * Led a full rebuild of the college's public-facing WordPress site — designed, developed, and handed off to non-technical staff who edited it daily. * Brought all public-facing pages into WCAG 2.0 / Section 508 compliance during a major site audit. * Implemented Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to support institutional marketing reporting. * Managed day-to-day content for Public Information and Marketing — news, events, department pages. At a glance ## For hiring managers. The short version, if you are hiring. The resume above has the detail. Role WordPress / full-stack PHP Stack WordPress, PHP, custom themes & plugins Timezone America/New_York (ET) Location Gettysburg, PA · remote OK Experience 17 years in-house web · public WordPress work since 2025 Availability Full-time, contract, freelance, agency overflow Employers on the record: [Saliense, All Native Group, and Knowledge Capital Associates](https://matthummel.com/about/#resume). Power Apps, Power Automate, and InfoPath for enterprise clients — details in the [resume](https://matthummel.com/about/#resume). There is no public demo. [Contact](https://matthummel.com/contact/) [Hire](https://matthummel.com/about/#hire) [Projects](https://matthummel.com/projects/) [GitHub](https://github.com/matthummel-pa) Hiring managers can ask for a private walkthrough of constrained employer work under NDA. Process ## How a project goes. Four steps. Written scope. You own everything at the end. ### Write. 1–2 days Tell me who the site is for, what is broken, and what a win looks like. A short note is enough. * A reply with questions * An honest no if I am the wrong fit * No sales pitch ### Scope. 2–4 days I send a plain list of work, a rough timeline, and what is out of scope. You approve or push back. * Written scope * Clear out-of-scope list * No lock-in contract ### Build. 1–2 weeks I build on staged pages you can click. Every line ships after I have read and tested it. * Staged previews * Reviewed code before it ships * Room for feedback mid-build ### Yours. Handoff You own the domain, hosting, database, and code. I leave a short admin guide and stay reachable for questions. * Full ownership * Plain-language admin notes * No monthly lock-in Fit ## Is this a good fit? A few honest checks before we spend time on a call. ### Good fit * You need a WordPress site or web app you can own * You want clean code another developer can read * You have a clear goal — or want help naming one * You want written scope before work starts * You are a shop, agency, or hiring manager ### Not a fit * You need a designer — I am a developer (I can refer one) * You need a site in under a week * You want ongoing social or ads management * You need a large ecommerce platform from scratch Approach ## How I work. Sage 11, Blade, Tailwind, Vite, and PHP 8.3 — shipped through GitHub. Here is how I run a WordPress build from the first note to a clean handoff. ### You own the stack at handoff Hosting, DNS, the database, and the Git repo sit in accounts under your name before we close. The Sage theme, plugins, and deploy notes go with the site — so another developer can pick up without guessing. ### wp-admin is part of the architecture I build with Sage 11, Blade, Tailwind, and page fields shops edit in WordPress — not a page builder. If an owner cannot update hours or a product in a couple of minutes, the theme is not done. ### AI drafts. I ship the review Cursor, Claude, and ChatGPT help with scaffolding and first-pass PHP. I still read, test, and own every line that reaches production — Vite builds, PHP 8.3, and GitHub Actions included. ### Small plugins. Clear hooks Custom work lives in focused PHP plugins or theme modules with standard WordPress hooks, PHPDoc, and a clean uninstall path. Kitchen-sink plugins stay off the site. ### Readable PHP for the next developer Blade stays thin; logic lives in App helpers with typed functions and explicit names. If another developer cannot follow a function in half a minute, I rewrite it before handoff. ### Accessible markup and plain words Semantic HTML, keyboard paths, and solid contrast. Labels, errors, and handoff notes read like they were written for a busy shop owner — welcoming to developers, clear for everyone else. [Repos and stack notes below](https://matthummel.com/about/#code) Open source ## Open-source full-stack and WordPress code on GitHub. Public repos from Gettysburg — Sage themes, WordPress plugins, and web apps shops and developers can fork. Stats and activity below pull live from the GitHub API. Synced from the GitHub API 30 minutes ago Public repos 29 Contributions, last 12 months 1,612 Current streak 6 days best 14 Stars earned 8 Followers 66 ### Pinned on GitHub The repos pinned to my GitHub profile — the ones I point developers to first. Pin or unpin a repo on GitHub and this list follows within the hour. 1. Sage theme 2. ### 󠀁[AI Dev Standards Playbook (opens in a new window)](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/ai-dev-standards-playbook)󠁿 3. matthummel-pa/ai-dev-standards-playbook 4. Rules, skills, slash commands and a deploy kit that teach Claude Code how to build WordPress (Sage/Bedrock, Tailwind v4) and front-end projects — auto-synced to every machine. 5. Shell AI Agents Bedrock Claude Code Coding Standards Developer Tools 6. Shell 7 commits Pushed 1 hour ago 7. [ v1.0.0 released 1 hour ago (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/ai-dev-standards-playbook/releases/tag/v1.0.0) 8. [ Open repo → AI Dev Standards Playbook (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/ai-dev-standards-playbook) [ Live demo (opens in a new window) ](https://matthummel-pa.github.io/ai-dev-standards-playbook/) 9. WordPress plugin 10. ### 󠀁[WP Walkridge (opens in a new window)](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/wp-walkridge)󠁿 11. matthummel-pa/wp-walkridge 12. WalkRidge is a custom WordPress theme for walking and historical home tours. Clean performance, responsive layout, SEO-ready structure, and easy content management. 13. PHP WordPress WordPress Theme Gutenberg 14. PHP 2 stars 42 commits Pushed 11 days ago 15. [ v1.7.2 released 23 days ago (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/wp-walkridge/releases/tag/v1.7.2) 16. [ Open repo → WP Walkridge (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/wp-walkridge) [ Live demo (opens in a new window) ](https://walkridge.matthummel.com) 17. Sage theme 18. ### 󠀁[WP Acreline (opens in a new window)](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/wp-acreline)󠁿 19. matthummel-pa/wp-acreline 20. Acreline is a WordPress theme for farms, land, and historic homes — searchable listings, agents, and showing requests. Customizer identity, eight color styles, Sage 11. Demo and support by Matt Hummel. 21. PHP WordPress WordPress Theme Roots Io Sage Gutenberg 22. PHP 213 commits Pushed 11 days ago 23. [ Open repo → WP Acreline (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/wp-acreline) [ Live demo (opens in a new window) ](https://matthummel-pa.github.io/wp-acreline/) 24. WordPress plugin 25. ### 󠀁[Tocguide (opens in a new window)](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/tocguide)󠁿 26. matthummel-pa/tocguide 27. Lightweight, server-rendered Table of Contents block for Gutenberg. TOCguide builds an accessible, SEO-friendly outline from your headings — numbered or bulleted, zero setup. Independent plugin. GPLv2+. 28. PHP Block Editor Gutenberg Gutenberg Block 29. PHP 1 star 71 commits Pushed 9 days ago 30. [ v1.6.15 released 13 days ago (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/tocguide/releases/tag/v1.6.15) 31. [ Open repo → Tocguide (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/tocguide) [ Live demo (opens in a new window) ](https://matthummel-pa.github.io/tocguide/) 32. Sage theme 33. ### 󠀁[Matt Hummel Theme (opens in a new window)](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/matthummel-theme)󠁿 34. matthummel-pa/matthummel-theme 35. Sage 11 WordPress theme for matthummel.com — Blade, Tailwind v4, Vite. Portfolio and services for a Gettysburg developer. 36. PHP Bedrock Roots Io Sage Theme Roots Sage 37. PHP 1 star 685 commits Pushed 1 day ago 38. [ Open repo → Matt Hummel Theme (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/matthummel-theme) [ Live demo (opens in a new window) ](https://matthummel.com) ### Recently pushed Fresh commits on public GitHub repos — a quick read on what I am shipping this week. [ All 29 repos (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa?tab=repositories) * [ Wpdemo Dobbinhouse (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/wpdemo-dobbinhouse) PHP 9 days ago * [ WP Cobbleandcandle Cobble & Candle: Sage 11 WordPress block theme for restaurants, taverns, and inns — live hours, diet-filtered menus, table and room bookings with iCal sync, setup wizard. (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/wp-cobbleandcandle) PHP 11 days ago * [ Branchborne Gem Quest Game Bejewled / Gems of War type game but with a web development learning twist. (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/branchborne-gem-quest-game) JavaScript 19 days ago * [ Keepary Keepary is a personal experiment, not a commercial product. I built it as a hands-on way to practice full-stack development end to end — and to explore what it's like to design and ship a real, working application in collaboration with Claude. (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/keepary) JavaScript 4 September 1, 2026 * [ Gettysburg Tour Map Gettysburg self guided tour map (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/gettysburg-tour-map) August 17, 2026 * [ Pintfield Creamery WP Theme Concept project for Matt Hummel Pintfield Creamery WooCommerce Theme (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa/pintfield-creamery-wp-theme) August 16, 2026 ### Languages on GitHub Primary language of each public repo, counted live. Small static sites pull HTML up; the themes and plugins are PHP. * HTML 33% 8 repos * PHP 29% 7 repos * CSS 17% 4 repos * JavaScript 13% 3 repos * Shell 4% 1 repo * Other 4% 1 repo Stack ## Skills and tools. WordPress, Sage, Tailwind, and the rest of the stack behind shipped repos. Not an exhaustive list — just what shows up in public GitHub. ### Front-end 9 * HTMLSemantic markup * CSSLayout and tokens * JavaScriptUI behavior * TypeScriptTyped front ends * ReactComponent UIs * Next.jsReact apps * TailwindUtility CSS * SassStylesheets * ViteAsset pipeline ### WordPress 3 * PHPThemes and plugins * WordPressCMS builds * SageBlade + Vite themes ### Ship 5 * Node.jsTooling and APIs * LaravelPHP framework * GitVersion control * GitHubRepos and Actions * Vs CodeDaily editor ### Microsoft 1 * Power AppsCanvas apps ### Workflow 1 * n8nWorkflow automation Questions ## Common questions. If yours is not here, [ask](https://matthummel.com/contact/). What does “you own it” mean? The domain, hosting, database, and code are yours. After handoff I have no access unless you invite me. Another developer can pick up where I left off. Do you do design, or just development? Development. I can work from your design or a clear reference. For original design work I will refer someone rather than half-guess it. How long does a WordPress site usually take? A simple site is often two to three weeks. Custom fields or booking can take four to eight. I give a realistic estimate during scoping. Can I edit the site myself after handoff? Yes. Pages use standard WordPress fields. I document anything unusual in plain English before handoff. Do you work with agencies? Yes. I can stay in the background on agency work. Rate is project-based. Write and tell me what you need. Is GitHub the start of your career? No. I have about 17 years of in-house employer web work. Most of that cannot be shown. Public GitHub is the trail I started in 2025. Do you only do WordPress? WordPress is the specialty. Adjacent work — APIs, React, Power Platform, deploys— is in range because I am a self-taught problem solver with 17 years in-house. Online ## Where to find me. Most of my WordPress code and writing shows up here and on GitHub. RSS is the calmest way to follow along. * [ GitHub (opens in a new window) ](https://github.com/matthummel-pa) * [ LinkedIn (opens in a new window) ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hummel-pa) * [ DEV.to (opens in a new window) ](https://dev.to/matthummeldev) * [ Bluesky (opens in a new window) ](https://bsky.app/profile/matthummel.bsky.social) * [ Reddit (opens in a new window) ](https://www.reddit.com/user/matt-hummel) * [ RSS ](https://matthummel.com/feed/) Get in touch ## Need a WordPress or full-stack developer? Got a question about a post, a project, or a role? Send it over. I usually reply within one business day (ET). [Say hello](https://matthummel.com/contact/) [@matthummel-pa](https://github.com/matthummel-pa) Remote · within one business day (ET)