Matt Carden

FAA Part 107-certified commercial drone pilot and experienced project-management professional providing aerial photography, videography, construction documentation, property inspections, mapping data collection, and commercial media services throughout Middle Tennessee and the Southeast. Founder and operator of Elevated Lens Works, a drone and commercial-media company supporting construction firms, property owners, real-estate professionals, inspection companies, and other organizations requiring accurate, dependable aerial documentation. Brings more than 20 years of leadership, operations, construction, and project-management experience, including work supporting federal construction and infrastructure projects.

Experienced in coordinating site access, safety requirements, schedules, quality-control processes, client communications, and technical deliverables. Available for freelance assignments, subcontract work, recurring progress-monitoring programs, regional travel, and pilot-network opportunities.

Founder and Commercial Drone Pilot at Elevated Lens Works (2025-01 – Present)

Operate an independent commercial drone and media business serving clients throughout Middle Tennessee and surrounding states.

• Perform FAA Part 107-compliant commercial drone operations.
• Capture aerial photography, 4K video, site-overview imagery, progress documentation, and inspection media.
• Support construction, commercial property, real-estate, vacant-land, and infrastructure-related assignments.
• Plan flights based on site conditions, airspace, weather, client objectives, safety requirements, and deliverable specifications.
• Coordinate controlled-airspace authorizations when required.
• Conduct preflight planning, site-risk assessments, equipment inspections, and post-flight data management.
• Produce organized client deliverables through secure digital delivery platforms.
• Provide rapid-response scheduling and typical project turnaround of 24 to 72 hours.
• Maintain flight records, project documentation, client communications, and quality-control procedures.
• Coordinate ground-level photography and video when required.
• Travel throughout Tennessee and the Southeast for project-based assignments.

Program and Project Manager at Seneca Federal Solutions (2025-01 – Present)

Manage complex construction, infrastructure, technical, and federal-government projects involving multiple stakeholders, subcontractors, schedules, compliance requirements, and technical deliverables.

• Manage project planning, schedules, budgets, risks, subcontractors, and client communications.
• Support construction and infrastructure programs valued in the millions of dollars.
• Coordinate site access, logistics, quality-control requirements, safety requirements, design reviews, and construction activities.
• Review schedules, progress reports, technical documents, requests for information, and project deliverables.
• Work with government agencies, contractors, engineers, architects, vendors, and field personnel.
• Apply construction knowledge to aerial documentation, inspection planning, progress monitoring, and site reporting.
• Develop repeatable workflows for quality control, documentation, and operational accountability.
• Support federal projects involving USACE, Department of Defense, and other government organizations.

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate — Federal Aviation Administration

Commercial small-unmanned-aircraft operations, airspace regulations, weather, flight planning, risk management, and safe UAS operations.

OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety — OSHA Outreach Training Program

Construction safety, hazard recognition, site controls, and regulatory compliance.

Construction Quality Management for Contractors — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Three-phase quality-control process, submittals, inspections, documentation, deficiency tracking, and construction quality management.