Susan Cooper

Peter Gardner

Peter is the third generation of his family to work the Gardner farm in Charlestown, and his family’s history in New England goes back over 400 years. Peter also has had the opportunity to travel extensively, returning to the town where he grew up when his employer allowed him to work remotely from anywhere. In the high-elevation wilderness areas of the Rocky Mountains, Peter experienced some of the darkest, most star-filled skies in the country. He appreciates that Charlestown’s dark skies, where we can still see the Milky Way and objects in deep space, are truly exceptional along the East Coast, and Peter wants to see them protected and promoted as some western towns have done. While living in Boulder, Colorado, he became deeply inspired by Boulder’s “Open Space and Mountain Parks Acquisition Plan” through which the city has protected thousands of acres for ecological conservation, agriculture, passive recreation, urban shaping, and scenic beauty. Peter has decided to get involved because Charlestown’s beautiful natural setting is at the root of our community identity and he believes we need to continue to protect our farms and open space to provide refuges for native plants and animals and provide a place for people to continue to enjoy the natural world.

Peter N. Gardner – Town Council

Peter is a quality assurance and compliance specialist for a large U.S. corporation, a third-generation Charlestown farmer, and a worldwide traveler. Peter’s studies have taken him to Alabama, Australia, Costa Rica, and Turkey; he has also lived in Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and Colorado; and he’s traveled to 49 states and 65 countries on all seven continents. But when the pandemic and remote work provided an opportunity to live anywhere, he chose to return to his family’s farm in northwest Charlestown. Now that his employer has made remote work permanent, Peter is back home to stay. He will bring his experience of other landscapes and cultures to the Town Council. He will be vigilant in protecting our irreplaceable environment. As a Compliance Specialist, Peter must ensure that organizations comply with relevant laws and regulations and maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct, integrity and professionalism. Peter will bring that same integrity and professionalism to the Town Council along with considerable energy and a love of Charlestown’s natural environment.

Peter is the third generation of his family to work the Gardner farm in Charlestown, and his family’s history in New England goes back over 400 years. Peter also has had the opportunity to travel extensively, returning to the town where he grew up when his employer allowed him to work remotely from anywhere. In the high-elevation wilderness areas of the Rocky Mountains, Peter experienced some of the darkest, most star-filled skies in the country. He appreciates that Charlestown’s dark skies, where we can still see the Milky Way and objects in deep space, are truly exceptional along the East Coast, and Peter wants to see them protected and promoted as some western towns have done. While living in Boulder, Colorado, he became deeply inspired by Boulder’s “Open Space and Mountain Parks Acquisition Plan” through which the city has protected thousands of acres for ecological conservation, agriculture, passive recreation, urban shaping, and scenic beauty. Peter has decided to get involved because Charlestown’s beautiful natural setting is at the root of our community identity and he believes we need to continue to protect our farms and open space to provide refuges for native plants and animals and provide a place for people to continue to enjoy the natural world.

Education

  • MS in Marketing, magna cum laude, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
  • BA in Communications, cum laude, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
  • BS in Film & Media, cum laude with a minor in Spanish, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
  • Chariho High School, Richmond, RI

Professional Experience

  • Quality Assurance and Compliance Specialist, Boulder, CO
  • Operations Manager and Logistics Analyst, CMAC, Las Vegas/Boston/Chicago
  • Underwriting Account Manager, ICAT Managers, Broomfield, CO
  • Production Support Analyst, ICAT Managers, Boulder, CO
  • Chief Marketing Officer and Operations Coordinator, LASHEA Manufacturing, Montgomery, AL

Public Service

  • Participant at annual river cleanups of the Pawcatuck River
  • Work to eliminate invasive species in Charlestown, such as Japanese Barberry, Multiflora Rose, and Winged Euonymus
  • Seasonal Lifeguard (seven years), Misquamicut State Beach, Westerly, RI
  • Public service projects associated with becoming a Gold Palm Eagle Scout

Personal

  • Peter loves the outdoors and adventure. He was a cross country/track runner at Chariho. He has kayaked the entirety of the Wood, Pawcatuck, and Chipuxet Rivers; hiked Rhode Island’s North South Trail; hiked the 495-mile Colorado Trail; made ascents of all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot mountains; climbed 45 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot mountains; climbed 22 of the highest 100 peaks in the USA; climbed 26 of the United States’ highest points; visited 35 US National Parks; and spent five months on a road trip from Johannesburg, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. Locally, you’ll find him playing in the spring and fall at the Disc Golf Course in Ninigret Park.
  • In his spare time, Peter has started a fruit orchard at the family farm and is improving soil health and removing invasive species as part of a plan to make agriculture sustainable on his land.

Agenda

  • Peter fully supports the CCA Platform for the 2022 election

On November 8th, please vote for Peter N. Gardner for Charlestown Town Council

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Town Council

Planning Commission

Chariho School Committee