Charlie Summers

Charlie Summers

Charles E. "Charlie" Summers, Jr. (born December 26, 1959 in Danville , Illinois ) is an American businessman and politician who was Secretary of State of Maine from 2011 to 2012 .

Life

Charlie Summers was born in Danville, Illinois. His parents were hoteliers . After the parents took over a hotel in Kewanee , the family moved there and Summers got to know many important politicians such as Richard Nixon , George HW Bush , Barry Goldwater and John Tower in the parental hotel . He was inspired by Everett Dirksen to become active in politics himself. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign .

After graduating, he met his future wife, Debra Draper, and since she was given a professorship at the University of Maine , he moved with her to Bangor , Maine. He got a management position at Bangor Motor Inn . In 1990 he opened a beverage store, Charlie's Beverage Warehouse in Biddeford . In the same year he was elected to the Maine Senate as a Republican Party member .

He was State Director of Senator Olympia Snowe from 1995 to 2004. He has also held various public government positions. He was a member of the US Small Business Administration for the New England Region (Region I) for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. There he was responsible for financing, marketing and public relations.

Summers is also currently Commander of the United States Navy Reserve, currently assigned to the Public Affairs Group of Chairman General Martin Dempsey. From October 2009 to October 2010 he was on active duty on the staff of former Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen. During this time he was a member of the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command – Afghanistan. He was recalled to active duty in March 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Even after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he was reactivated and was part of Gordon England's team. Summers has served as a public relations officer in the US Navy Reserve since 1996.

He has received several awards for his service in the military. He has received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal , United States Army Combat Action Badge , National Defense Service Medal , Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal , Joint Service Commendation Medal , Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal , The Afghanistan Campaign Medal , The Iraq Campaign Medal as well some more.

In March 2011 he was appointed Chairman of the InforME Board by Governor Paul LePage . He was elected Secretary of State in 2010 and took office on January 6, 2011. He held this office for one term.

Summers was married to Debra Draper and the couple had two children. Debra Summers was killed in a car accident on the way home from university in January 1997. He later met his second wife, Ruth Rayburn, in the military. The couple married in 2002 and have one child.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Colin Woodard Staff Writer: US Senate race: Summers' previous losses don't stop quest for Congress. In: pressherald.com. Retrieved December 25, 2015 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Department of the Secretary of State, Detailed Biographical Information. In: archive.org. March 9, 2012, archived from the original on March 9, 2012 ; Retrieved December 25, 2015 .