Peter Gove, was the lead founder of FMR in 1993 and served as the first FMR board chair. He was the first chairman of the Mississippi River Commission appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to develop a comprehensive general management plan for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA). He also served as Governor Wendell R. Anderson’s environmental assistant, Executive Director of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a founding member of the Environmental Quality Board. He also served on Senator Anderson’s U.S. Senate staff as Legislative Director and as Chief of the Office of Legislation for the U.S. National Park Service. After his public sector career, Peter was an executive for two Minnesota high technology companies — St. Jude Medical, Inc. and Control Data Corporation — before retiring in 2005. He is a member of the board of directors of the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota, Saint Croix River Association (current Vice Chair) and the Trust for Public Land Minnesota Advisory board. He also serves on two private company boards. He and his wife, Mary, live in Saint Paul and have two children and two grandchildren.

Education: Magna cum laude graduate, Princeton University (1970) and the Stanford University Executive MBA program (1988).

Hobbies: Photography, skiing, hiking, and travel.

Interesting book(s): Cod and Salt by Mark Kurlansky

Environmental/Conservation heroes: Wendell Anderson, Chuck Dayton, John Herman, Dave Durenberger, Grant Merritt and Bill Whalen.

Last memorable vacation: Skiing in Colorado

FMR Board member since: The Beginning.

Board committee: Executive

Favorite Mississippi River place, experience or memory: The Minnesota/Mississippi confluence and gorge area in Minneapolis.

Quote: “National Parks are the best idea we ever had.” — Wallace Stegner