GEORGE BOWMAN’S BIO

George Bowman, retired U.S. Army Major General, has a wealth of experience in strategic communications, outreach and engagement, program management, governance, and senior level operations. He is broadly recognized in both the public and private sectors as a brilliant leader, strategic thinker and astute problem solver, able to find solutions to complex issues, quickly.

Appointed by Governor Bob Riley as Jefferson County Commissioner in 2007, General Bowman served three highly successful terms, beginning in 2007 and ending in 2018 (2007-2008, 2014-2018, and 2014-2018). During his tenure, the health and welfare of County citizens flourished. Economic development expanded to over $600 million dollars, and more than $82 million dollars went directly to school boards. Through his outreach efforts, he was instrumental in garnering key economic successes, including a $500 million investment with the Kamtek manufacturing plant, which added 148 jobs in 2012 and 354 more in 2015 with the plant’s expansion. Autocar, a major truck manufacturer—as well as a customer of Kamtek—added another 746 jobs with its $140 million venture. He worked closely with stakeholders to bring an Amazon Distribution Center to the County, adding 1,500 jobs and $325 million dollars in capital investment. Bringing new companies and jobs to the County, all of these are indicators of progress and growth.

In his capacity as Jefferson County Commissioner in charge of Health and General Services, General Bowman supported development of a “Health Care Authority” as a strategic tool of leverage to allow Jefferson County to better serve its indigent population and provide governance and financial direction for the County’s Cooper Green Mercy Health Systems. Early in his tenure as Commissioner, he took issue with the County’s plan to file bankruptcy and its Plan of Adjustment, which adversely affected sewer ratepayers for 40 years. Working with state and federal agencies, as well with the private financial sector, he was able to help the County recover from bankruptcy by 2011.

Throughout his tenure, the community has recognized General Bowman’s efforts with multiple awards: Birmingham NAACP Outstanding African American Award; Who’s Who in Black Birmingham; American Legion Leadership Award, and Crime Stopper of the Year, to name a few.
A board member of the Association of County Commissioners in Alabama, General Bowman also served on the Practical Leadership Action Network Committee; and as President of the Association of Black County Officials, he worked diligently to help citizens across the entire State of Alabama. He is also a widely regarded member of the National Association of County Officials (NACO), where he chaired its Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, bringing best practices and innovative ideas to the table. General Bowman became NACO’s public voice for veterans, focusing heavily on the plight of homeless vets and job training.

Known respectfully within the military family as a “soldier’s soldier,” General Bowman is the proud son of an original Tuskegee Airman, Leroy Bowman, and the grandson of a decorated World War I vet, Brooks Bowman, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country after exposure to mustard gas.

He comes from and is part of a family of service. He is married to Major (RET) Yolanda Bowman, Medical Service Officer who teaches JROTC; one of his sons, Major George Bowman, Jr., is a West Point graduate; his grandson, George Bowman III, is a Naval Academy graduate, deployed on active duty; and his daughter-in-law, Commander Motisola Bowman, is a Naval Academy graduate who served in Afghanistan. Other family members who’ve served or are serving their country include:
• Stepson, CPT Julian Harden, MEDEVAC pilot, Ohio National Guard
• Stepdaughter, SPC 4 Tiffany Harden, USAR
• Stepbrother, CW5 Donald McCray, (Deceased), a Vietnam Veteran
• Stepbrother, SFC (Ret.)Tommie McCray, a Vietnam Veteran
• Brother, CPT James Bowman, who commanded units in Korea, Okinawa, and Germany
• Uncle, SGT Charles Canty (Deceased), WWII veteran
• Father-in-law, SGT Dave Young (Deceased), WWII veteran

An avid supporter of our nation’s veterans and their families, General Bowman is committed to finding solutions to their problems. While serving two terms as NACO’s National Chair of Veterans and Military Services Committee, he concentrated heavily on the plight of homeless veterans. Part of his portfolio included working closely with the Veteran’s Administration and other key stakeholders to implement the highly successful “Operation Reveille,” providing shelter for homeless veterans and their families. Rapidly becoming a success story for veterans, Operation Reveille began as a pilot program in Birmingham in 2017 with a wide coalition of government agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and the Birmingham VA Medical Center, all working together to aid homeless vets find housing.

General Bowman introduced Operation Reveille to NACO to replicate in other areas around the country, a move that Secretary of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin, endorsed wholeheartedly during NACO’s 2018 national meeting.

Always keeping vets in the forefront, General Bowman developed good working relationships with the Alabama Workforce Initiative and Universal Technical Institute Inc.—among others—to help train and place veterans in the workforce with good paying jobs. Representing the County across the state, he served on several key committees and boards dedicated to supporting veterans: Vice Chairman of the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee; Co-chair for the Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB); member of the Birmingham VA VISTAR Research Board, and a member of ALAVETNET.

During his 34 years of military service, General Bowman’s key command and staff assignments included serving brilliantly as first, Deputy Commander, then Commander of the 311th Theater Signal Command, providing tactical military communications for all the joint, combined, and coalition forces throughout the region. Other key command and staff assignments include: Chief of Plans, 335th Theater Signal Command; Deputy Commander, Personnel Center, St. Louis, MO; and G-6 for Bright Star 1995, Cairo, Egypt.

He culminated his remarkable career serving in the Pentagon as Army Assistant G-3, Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, providing units and individual soldiers to serve in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq for Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

After more than three decades of outstanding military service, which spanned the globe from Fort Bragg to Germany, Korea, Egypt, and points beyond, General Bowman continued his visionary leadership with the federal government. He served as a Project Leader and a National Coordinator for the “post 9-11” TSA Airport Federalization Project Advanced Team, which developed and implemented the new airport screening and security procedures nationwide. This required extensive outreach to the various public and private communities involved, on both a local and statewide basis.

In addition, he served as a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Army National Museum (NMUSA) Project. In that role, he worked closely with potential donors; public and private senior leaders; and the academic community; and conducted oral history interviews with Tuskegee Airmen, Sioux Code Talkers, and other military veterans. Those interviews are archived in NMUSA.

In the private sector, a frequently requested guest speaker, General Bowman regularly conducts strategic communications and leadership training sessions throughout the country. A committed mentor for young leaders, he works faithfully with Birmingham area youth offering leadership training and professional growth opportunities. Donating chess sets to area schools, he routinely teaches the game as a method to help young minds develop critical thinking and decision making skills. He is a Deacon and a Sunday School Teacher. Since 2005, he has served on the Board of Directors for the Pioneer Student Leadership Academy, a long-term mentoring program for at-risk and underserved college students.
General Bowman’s military awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters); the Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters); the Army Achievement Medal; Army Superior Unit Award; Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal W/Service Star; Army Forces Expeditionary Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal W/Hourglass Device; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Army Reserve Component Overseas Training; and the Egyptian Ministry of Defense Bright Star Award.

He is a graduate of the Army’s Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and the United States Army War College.

Other awards the General has garnered include: Induction into the South Carolina State University Army ROTC Hall of Fame; SC State University Presidential Citation; and the SC State University Distinguished Alumnus Award.

General Bowman has a BA in History from South Carolina State University, and an MA in Public Administration from Shippensburg State College.
He is a Master Mason and a lifelong member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.