Jan H. Gardner

Jan H. Gardner (born September 25, 1956) is an American government administrator and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she was sworn in as the first elected executive of Frederick County, Maryland on December 1, 2014.

Early life and education

Born in Pennsylvania, Gardner earned a Bachelor in Business Administration in Finance and Economics from the University of Notre Dame in 1978 and a Master in Business Administration from Xavier University in 1991. She worked for the Quaker Oats company in a management position.

Public service

Gardner became involved in local government as a citizen activist speaking out on school overcrowding. In 1998, she ran for County Commissioner, a position she held for 12 years including as President of the Board of County Commissioners from 2006 to 2010. From 2011 to 2013, she served as the state director for the office of United States Senator Barbara A. Mikulski.

Gardner has also served on the county Library Board of Trustees, the county's Workforce Development Board, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, the county's Community Action Agency, the Committee for Frederick County, and the Frederick Arts Council.

Political positions

In 2006, she said that the most pressing issue in Frederick County was rapid residential growth and its associated impacts on schools, roads, and public services.

Gardner has tried to reduce school overcrowding by building new schools and school additions while at the same time implementing public policy to link the pace of residential growth with the county's ability to provide adequate schools. In her personal bio, Gardner says she is most proud of her work to achieve the County's first AAA bond rating, successfully introducing a new agricultural preservation program to preserve over 15,000 acres of agriculture, and supporting economic development through the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc., Frederick's first business and technology incubator.

County Executive

In November 2014, Gardner won the first ever election for County Executive in Frederick County, defeating conservative talk show host Blaine Young. However, the majority of the newly elected county council was won by Republican candidates. Gardner ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

After her 2014 election as county executive, Gardner announced the creation of four issue-based leadership teams to review the structure and organization of county government and the county executive’s office under the new charter government. The four leadership teams were proposed to address key issue areas including education, jobs, senior citizens, and community needs and were to establish the foundation for a blueprint for a four-year plan. Gardner has said that she will not recommend raising taxes but rather seeks reprioritization how the funds are spent.

Personal life

Gardner has been married to John Gardner for 30 years. They have three grown children, all of whom graduated from Frederick County Public Schools.

Electoral history

2014

2006

2002

1998