MEET
CHRIS
GADWAY:
Veteran, Volunteer, and
Small Business Owner
Chris is currently a member of the Calvert County Republican Central Committee, where he serves as a subcommittee chair and assistant. He looks forward to continuing his service to our community as a member of the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners.
A Lifetime of Service
Born in 1970 to a US Navy Vietnam veteran, Chris grew up in Oregon. At 18 years old, he decided to be baptized as a Christian prior to enlisting in the US Coast Guard.
From 1989 to 1993, Chris served in the U.S. Coast Guard Honor Guard in Alexandria, Virginia. He held Top Secret clearance while performing presidential support duties. Their motto was “Pride, Poise, and Perfection.”
During Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Desert Sabre, Chris’s clearance was upgraded to Sensitive Comparted Information through the Office of Naval Intelligence. He was honorably discharged from the USCG Reserves in 2001.
In 1996, Chris took a position with Verizon, working in a variety of technical positions on the outside plant. He retired early in 2010.
It’s All in the Family
From 1998 to 2015, Chris volunteered as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America Troop 903, Huntingtown. He and his family were proud to see Blake achieve Eagle Scout rank.
In 2002, Chris joined the Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department. During his decade of service, he held the positions of Firefighter, Rescue Technician, Emergency Vehicle Operator, Treasurer and Vice President. Since then, his wife Julie has served as an EMT at Dunkirk VFD; his daughter Julia became an EMT and a firefighter; and Blake was a firefighter at Prince Frederick VFD.
In 2005 Chris and his daughter were hired by FEMA to assist Hurricane Katrina disaster victims in Louisiana. Their work there was extended when Hurricane Rita came ashore.
Settling in Calvert County
In 1997, Chris moved to Calvert County. Later that year, he met his wonderful wife, Julie, and they were married in 1998. Together, Chris and Julie purchased a home in Huntingtown, where they raised their two great kids: daughter, Julia and son, Blake.
Chris and his wife enjoy spending time with their grandson, Braden. They take him to Southern Maryland Sabres games and ice hockey practice. Most of all, they enjoy sharing their conservative values, ethics, and morals with him.
For over a decade, Chris and his wife have volunteered with the Friend of Felines Calvert County, where they have been active on a weekly basis. They love taking in feral kittens, helping them socialize, and finding their forever homes.
Getting Down to Business
In 2009, Chris was elected Vice President of an international, not-for-profit firefighter corporation. It consisted of 8,500 members across 12 countries at the time. In 2012, Chris was elected International President. During the next 6 years he saw the organization grow to over 10,000 members in more than 24 countries.
Chris chaired the 12-member Board of Directors and helped form one for-profit and one 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. During his tenure, he had the honor of speaking at local government functions in multiple countries, including Australia, France, and Germany. During this time Chris learned much about parliamentary procedure, Robert’s Rules, and chairperson duties.
In 2008, when Chris and his wife saw a need in their community, they started a small business: Property Management of Southern Maryland. Every year for the last 8 years, they have been blessed with double-digit growth annually. They are proud employers in Calvert County and consider their employees part of their family.