Pete is raising his family and devoting untold hours to community service in Anne Arundel County, and there is no place that he would rather be. His public service includes a decade as a County Councilman for the 1st District, which encompasses diverse neighborhoods in the northern part of the county.

Anne Arundel County has been on a good track, but there’s no guarantee that will continue. Pete has heard from our friends and neighbors and business owners. Many are struggling, and others are afraid. And unfortunately, we are living in a time when we can’t rely on our federal partners for help, and our state is facing severe fiscal constraints.

Anne Arundel County government needs to step up, helping our residents who look to us for great schools, a thriving business climate, public safety and more.

A culture of excellence

Pete knows firsthand how important mentorship is.

His mother dropped out of high school and had five kids between the ages of 14 and 19. Pete’s brother and sister both spent time in prison, and there was no guarantee he wasn’t going in the same direction.

But he is where he is today today because of the mentors in life who gave him purpose and passion.

One of them was a police officer who offered a lifeline rather than arresting him after I got into trouble as a 7th grader. The officer told Pete to spend some time in his station, which was attached to a community center. It was there that he learned to swim, and became a member of my high school swim team. That officer became one of the most important people in Pete’s life.

opportunities for all

When it came time for high school, Pete had moved out of his mother’s apartment to stay with an aunt. And all she had for him was a closet to sleep in. But a teacher who was running the chess club really cared about Pete, and became another father figure. Another teacher taught him the power of words, in the debate and speech club.

Each of these mentors gave Pete his passion and purpose, and they were public sector employees, who demonstrated commitment and had resources available like community centers to help us.

These resources need to be part of our community. We never know the lives we are going to touch.

That’s why Pete is so strongly committed to public education. As a councilman, he pushed to make sure we keep our funding levels high, and he will continue to do that as county executive.

Pete joined the Marine Corps after high school, and became an intelligence specialist, developing skills in technology, budget management and leadership. He is coming up on 27 years of service, both active duty and as a reservist.

Pete has worked at Fort Meade, and appreciates the economic engine of our investments there. As county executive, he will take the chains off of Anne Arundel economic development efforts, so deals get done quicker.

Pete’s track record is strong. He has:

• Achieved full funding for our schools when previous county executives wanted to shortchange them.

• Helped our economy by helping build conference space at Arundel Mills, keeping events and high school graduations here in Anne Arundel County.

• Kept our communities safe by pushing for technology for our police department, helping to prevent and solve crime.

• Helped our veterans, by taking the lead on tax breaks that help them stay in their homes.

  These are Pete’s priorities, and he will accomplish even more as our county executive.