John Peter Thompson is Chairman of the Board of the Behnke Nurseries Company.  The company has three garden centers (Beltsville, Potomac and Largo, Maryland), as well as a 70 acre greenhouse and nursery production facility in Largo, Maryland.  The company was founded in 1930 by John Peter’s maternal grandparents, Albert and Rose Behnke, and from the start, the Behnkes grew and sold perennials.

John Peter spent most of his childhood learning to garden from his grandfather, one weed at a time.  After a stint in the night club business, he returned to Behnke Nurseries in 1988.   He spent a number of years at the production facility where he oversaw perennial production and sales.  He has been active in the Perennial Plant Association for many years, and in 2001 coordinated the tours for the national meeting in Washington.  In 2003, PPA named him its first Perennial Retailer of the Year.

John Peter has long been engaged with his community serving as President of a local cemetery association for almost ten years, as well as President of the Friends of the Beltsville Library, and Chairman of the Prince George’s County Library Foundation.  He also served as Secretary of the United Communities Against Poverty, and currently serves as a director on both the Prince George’s Hospital Foundation and Prince George’s County Foundation boards.  Additionally, he serves as a Trustee of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, and as Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission.  And through this all, John Peter has found time to serve in many capacities with the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, including co chair of the economic development and legislative committees, the executive committee and, since 2004 as an officer of the Chamber.