About

Get to know Ron Gunzburger...

If you are like many people in Ward One, you likely already know Ron Gunzburger from his popular photos of local homes and flowers he's been posting on the Facebook Friends of Annapolis page for the past five years. Those posts give you a real feel for the love and appreciation Ron has for our very special town and way of life...

Just a few of Ron's many Annapolis posts on Facebook

... and, while Ron's posts are delightful and informative, there is a lot more to Ron than just his pictures. Ron has worn a lot of professional hats over his 40+ year career ... experiences Ron can put to good use helping his Ward One neighbors.

March 2020: One of the first Covid Response Team meetings

GOVERNOR'S DIRECTOR OF COVID-19 RESPONSE STRATEGY. From the start of the pandemic, Ron worked closely with Governor Hogan to successfully steer our state safely though the two year state of emergency. The Washington Post rated Maryland's response as the best in the nation.

2019: On scene working at the tragic Parkland school shooting, where 17 innocent people were murdered. Ron sadly understands the deadly toll of gun violence.

LAW ENFORCEMENT SENIOR COMMANDER. Ron was general counsel and executive director (civilian) for six years in Florida at one of the largest public safety agencies in the nation ... making tough decisions daily for a massive county police, fire rescue, and corrections agency with 5,400 personnel and an annual budget exceeding $1 billion ... and one that pioneered major justice reforms.

1987: Law school graduation in Vermont

ATTORNEY. An attorney since 1988, Ron previously served as an assistant public defender, an assistant Florida attorney general (RICO Unit), a civil litigation partner in a top-100 national law firm, and as general counsel/chief operating officer of a dot-com. He is licensed to practice law in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Florida.

2023: One Small Step activation at the annual Congressional Baseball Game

NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE. These days, Ron serves as the chief of staff of the beloved nonprofit StoryCorps (best known for their weekly radio segment each Friday on NPR's Morning Edition). He also helps lead their One Small Step initiative to reduce toxic polarization in America.

Ron and his Mom - White House Holiday Party

DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT AND ACTIVIST. Starting in the 1980s, Ron was a professional campaign consultant in over 130 Democratic and nonpartisan campaigns. Additionally, the Stonewall National Museum recognized Ron as a "South Florida LGBT Rights Pioneer" for his gay equality activism in the 1980s and 1990s, when they recorded a video interview with him in 2016 for their permanent oral history collection.

Ron and Dana at a friend's backyard crab boil party in Eastport

PERSONAL. Ron and his husband Dana Buker have been together since 1987 (and legally married since 2006, when the law finally caught up to the times). They moved to Annapolis in 2019, and live in the historic district on Hanover Street. Since moving to the street, Dana and Ron turned most of the block's weed-covered parking islands into community flower gardens. Their own backyard garden was featured in the Hammond-Harwood House's 2024 Secret Garden Tour. To be clear: Dana plans the gardens ... and Ron digs the holes, weeds, and trims. In their free time, they play tennis (poorly), ski (decently), travel, cook, and frequently entertain friends and neighbors on their front porch. Ron and Dana are also sponsor parents to four USNA Midshipmen: three firsties (Class of 2025) and a plebe (Class of 2028). Ron earned his Bachelor's degree from George Washington University in 1984; and earned his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Vermont Law School in 1987.

Ron and Dana and their Annapolis friends enjoy frequent ski weekends in West Virginia

Look for Ron soon at your front door as he walks the district. He'd love to hear your thoughts about what we can do - together - to make a better, safer, more affordable Annapolis.

Awards and Recognition

Maryland Governor's Citation (2022) - Awarded for state government leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the Governor's Director of COVID-19 Response Strategy.
LGBT "Out 50" (2015), South Florida Gay News. Named in the "top 50 people in the South Florida LGBT community who deserve recognition."
US Marine Corps Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Civilian Support to the 1/23 Marines in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom II (2005). "Mr. Gunzburger's efforts in helping the battalion and its families reflect great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Services."
Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (2001). The JCOC is US Department of Defense’s oldest and most prestigious public liaison program. Nominated by the Navy League, and selected by Defense Secretary Bill Cohen in 2000, Ron was one of just 55 participants in the JCOC-64 program.
"40 Under 40" Award for Career Excellence (1998). Awarded by the South Florida Business Journal.
PBS Democracy Project Point of Excellence Award (1998). Ron's Politics1.com website was one of only eight websites in the nation to receive the award in 1998. It was awarded to websites "that meet the ideals of the PBS Democracy Project by providing a citizen-oriented approach, content with depth, deliberation and duration, interactivity, and information that empowers or educates the public."