Pete Pantzer has served the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs as its Director of Finance and Administration since May 2014. Pete leads a small but dedicated fiscal team responsible for budgeting, financial analysis and reporting, procurement, accounts payable, timekeeping, fiscal compliance, fiscal closeout, and audit.
In addition, Pete’s role includes a wide range of personnel duties including employee relations, approving new hires, and serving as EEO and Fair Practice Officer. Pete functions as MDVA’s liaison with the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Information Technology, the Maryland State Archives, the Statewide Treasurer’s Office, the Office of the Comptroller, the Office of Legislative Audits, and others.
Prior to moving from Minnesota to Maryland with his family in 2014, Pete’s career included financial, administrative, training, and systems roles in New Hampshire, suburban Chicago, northern California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, in manufacturing, distribution, information technology, and non-profit organizations. From 2002 through 2008, Pete worked for an international non-profit doing development and construction work in countries affected by war and natural disaster. During that time period, he lived in Tajikistan for a year and served in short-term roles in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Southern Sudan. He earned his MBA from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2010.
Pete has thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of leading MDVA’s fiscal unit over the past several years. He sees the fiscal unit’s mission as one of service to MDVA’s staff on the front lines serving Maryland’s veterans. His goal for the team is to administer an efficient back-office function for those staff so that they can accomplish their mission effectively.
Pete lives with his wife Amy and four young sons in Baltimore. He loves to write, to run, to hike and to spend time in nature either alone or with his family.