About Bryan
Built by Work. Driven by Purpose.
An engineer, a leader, and a Vermonter — running for governor because Vermont deserves someone who solves problems, not just talks about them.
"Vermont didn't just become my home. It became my reason."
— Bryan Ponnwitz
My hometown is Bainbridge, New York — a small, tight-knit community nestled in the rolling hills of upstate New York. My brother, sister, and I grew up in a household that valued hard work, honesty, and showing up for your neighbors. Those values are still how I live my life.
After graduating high school in 1998, I built a career grounded in engineering and technology — not in politics. I spent decades as a software developer and engineer, learning how to break down complex problems, build systems that work, and lead teams through the hardest challenges.
Bainbridge, New York
Where It All Started
Raised in Small-Town America
Bryan grew up in Bainbridge, New York — a small community in the Catskill foothills where neighbors knew each other's names and hard work was the only currency that mattered. He was raised alongside his brother and sister in a household that didn't have much use for pretense. You worked hard, you told the truth, and you looked out for the people around you.
He graduated high school in 1998 and set out to build something — not knowing exactly what, but knowing he had the work ethic to figure it out. That upbringing in a small, working community never left him. It's the lens through which he sees Vermont today.
Career & Experience
A Career Built on Solving Hard Problems
I've spent my professional life in the trenches of American industry — not in boardrooms, but in the day-to-day work of building systems that power retail operations, keep planes in the air, and move goods across the country. I've led engineering teams across multiple sectors in the economy: retail, aviation, and logistics.
That experience taught me something that career politicians rarely learn: real accountability. When a system fails, people notice. There's no spin, no press release, no committee to blame. You fix it - or you don't. I've spent my career fixing things and I'll do the same thing for Vermont.
Managing complex teams across multiple industries also gave me a deep understanding of what working Vermonters face every day: rising costs, workforce shortages, and systems that weren't built with regular people in mind. I've seen it from the inside, and I know how to change it.
25+
Years in Engineering & Technology
3
Industries Led: Retail, Aviation, Logistics
4
Years Calling Vermont Home
Why Vermont
I Chose Vermont. Now I'm asking Vermont to choose me.
My path to Vermont wasn't a straight line. After years in New York and a chapter in the Atlanta region chasing career opportunities, I found himself drawn north — to the mountains, the communities, and the character of Vermont. Four years ago, my family and I made it our home.
In those four years, we've seen Vermont's beauty and its struggles up close. My wife and I have seen the housing shortage price out families young and old. We've seen small businesses straining under costs that keep climbing and a state with extraordinary potential held back by systems that haven't kept pace with the times.
But I've also seen the resilience, the generosity, and the fierce independence that make Vermonters unlike any other people in America. That's why I'm running — not because it's the next step in some political career, but because Vermont deserves a governor who came here for the right reasons and will work for you.
Vermont — Home
Why I'm Running
Vermont Needs a Problem-Solver, Not a Politician
I'm not running because I've always wanted to be governor. I'm running because I looked at the challenges Vermont faces — the housing crisis, the affordability squeeze, the healthcare gaps, the education funding fight, the drug and crime problems — and asked myself: who is actually going to fix this?
The answer I kept coming back to was someone who has spent a career building things that work, leading teams through hard problems, and delivering results that can be measured. Someone who isn't beholden to the way things have always been done. Someone who moved to Vermont because they love it — and wants to leave it better than they found it.
That's me. And that's why I'm running for Governor of Vermont in 2026.
Get to Know Bryan
Read where he stands on the issues, come to an event, or join the campaign. Vermont's future is worth fighting for.