Jan Gardner

Jan H. Gardner (born September 25, 1956) is an American politician who served as the first County Executive of Frederick County, Maryland, from 2014 to 2022. She assumed the office following the county's transition to a charter home rule government, having previously served as a member of the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners from 1998 to 2010. During her time as a commissioner, she spent four years as the board's president and later worked as a state director for U.S. senator Barbara Mikulski. Gardner served three terms as the president of the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo).

Early life and education Gardner was born in Pennsylvania on September 25, 1956. She is a native of Northwestern Pennsylvania. She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and economics in 1978.

Career

Early career Gardner has experience in accounting, finance, and adult education. She worked in food manufacturing and distribution for the Quaker Oats Company. During her first year as executive, she served a second term as president of MACo. She served two full terms, leaving office on December 5, 2022. Her administration's budgets exceeded state-required "maintenance of effort" funding levels for public schools by $113 million. Gardner also emphasized agricultural preservation. Her administration doubled the county's investment in the sector and preserved over 61,000 acres of agricultural land. She stated that her support for the farming community would be her most enduring legacy.

In recognition of her ongoing leadership, she received the Presidential Medal for Leadership from Saint John's Catholic Prep in 2017 and served a third term as president of MACo in 2018. Gardner identified managing the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland as the greatest challenge of her time in office.

Personal life As of 2014, Gardner has been married to her husband, John Gardner, for over three decades. They have three children. She credits her mother, a community activist, with instilling in her the values of hard work and community service.