Pete Howell

Pete grew up in North Jersey and graduated from Montclair University with a degree in Business Administration and Accounting. In 1994, a shift in his corporate job led him to Ocean City for what was meant to be a summer of fishing. That summer turned into two more, and eventually three years of weekends spent running charters on his 29-foot Topaz boat—fitting it all in between corporate finance roles.

After selling the boat, Pete took one final corporate finance position. When that company was acquired, he chose not to stay on with the new owners. Instead, he partnered with a fishing buddy to start a tree service business. About a year later, his partner stepped away, and Pete took full ownership. He successfully ran and expanded the business for 22 years before selling it and retiring in 2022.

Pete has an older sister who lives in Florida and a sister-in-law—his late brother's wife—who resides in Virginia. His only child, a son, lives in California with his wife and stepdaughter, while his stepdaughter and her family live nearby in Berlin.