Peter Shumlin

Governor Peter Shumlin was the 81st governor of the state of Vermont from 2011 to 2017. Shumlin was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993, and served as State Senator for the Windham District from 1993 to 2003, and from 2007 to 2011. Shumlin served as the chair of the Democratic Governors Association during his first two terms.

Shumlin is a small business owner, public servant and father of two girls from Putney, Vermont. A committed entrepreneur, Shumlin is the longtime co-director, along with his brother, of Putney Student Travel, National Geographic, and New York Times Journeys’ Student Expeditions, a company that sends 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.

His career in public service began more than 30 years ago when at the age of 24 he was elected to serve on the town’s select board. In 1990, Governor Madeleine Kunin appointed Shumlin to fill an empty seat in the Vermont House of Representatives, where he served for 3 years. He then served Windham County for 8 terms in the VT Senate and was elected by his colleagues to lead the Senate as President pro tem the majority of that time.