Peter Shumlin
State of Vermont
Former Governor
Governor Peter Shumlin served three terms as the 81st governor of the state of Vermont. Hewas a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993, and served as State Senator for the Windham Countyfrom 1993 to 2003and from 2007 to2011, and he was elected president of the senate for 10 of those years.Shumlin served as the chair of the Democratic Governors Association during his first two terms.
During his time in office, Governor Shumlin established Vermont as a leader on progressive policies, making the state the first to guaranteeuniversalpre-kindergarten education for all 3 and 4 year old children, pass a mandatory GMO labeling law, and achieve near universal health care coverage with the lowest rate of uninsured in the country. Under his leadership, Vermont consistently ranked among the top states in solar energy jobs per capita and enacted a number of laws to boost renewable energy production andcombatclimate change. Because of Vermont's leadership, Governor Shumlin was invited by President Obama to the Paris Climate Summit to push for a global climate agreement.Governor Shumlin's tenure was also marked by his leadership during times of crisis. He helped Vermont recover from thedevastation of Tropical Storm Irene. He also turned the nation's eyes to the problem of opiate and heroinaddiction by dedicating his entire 2014 State of the State Address to the issue and pushing for policies to treat addiction as the health care crisis that it is.
A committed entrepreneur, Shumlin is the longtime co-director, along with his brother, of Putney Student Travel, National GeographicStudent Expeditions, and New York Times Journeys, sendinghigh school age students on educational programs and service projects across the globe. He is also a partner in several real estate companies that provide housing and commercial space in Southeast Vermont.
Peter is the father of two wonderful daughters and lives with his wife Katie Hunt on their farm in Westminster West, Vermont, where they raise pigs, beef, and a huge vegetable garden.