Gregory Bowen Obituary

Born on November 21,1953 in Prince Frederick, MD, Gregory Alvin Bowen was the second of two children to Kenneth Merton Bowen and Lucille Childs Bowen. Growing up, Greg worked on the family farm from an early age and grew to love and fiercely defend the county where he was raised. He attended St. Mary's College of Maryland where he studied Mathematics. During his time at St. Mary's, Greg was very involved in student life, playing lacrosse, competing in water sports, and serving as president of the Student Government Association. He graduated from St. Mary's in 1975 and later attained a Master of Science in Urban Planning and Policy Management from the Johns Hopkins University in 1986.

Greg met his wife Tamea in the summer of 1976 while she was summering with her family in Lower Marlboro before her senior year of college. A devoted husband, loving father, and doting grandfather, Greg always prioritized his family. He had a wonderful partnership with his wife and together they created a very close-knit and dedicated family. The Bowen family traveled together, were avid viewers of independent films, sang in choirs, participated in various aspects of theater, and simply enjoyed each other's company. Greg's hobbies included cycling, kayaking, sailing, and gardening.

Greg was a passionate advocate of land preservation, especially in his beloved Calvert County. He had a lifelong goal of "preserving Calvert's working landscapes and its ecological and cultural assets." A member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Greg served as Deputy Director and subsequently Director of Calvert County Planning and Zoning over a 33 year career with the Department. While there, Greg's colleague, Randi Vogt, introduced the idea of using Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) to direct growth away from rural land that could then be preserved. Greg's leadership was crucial in making this program one of the most successful in the U.S. and, as of his retirement in 2011, over 23,000 acres in the County were preserved through the TDR program.

After retiring from the County, Greg began his own consulting firm, Land Stewardship Solutions (LSS), LLC. Through his work at LSS, Greg served as Director of FarmLINK for the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) which mentors new farmers and works to keep agricultural land in active production, served as Acting Regional Planner for the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, and was co-author on a number of important local foodshed and planning reports including the Somerset County, New Jersey Preservation Plan which won the state's 2023 Smart Growth Award. He was also a member of the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission, chaired its Rural Economies Workgroup, and served on the Maryland Environmental trust Board of Directors.

In 2015, Greg began his dream job as Executive Director for the American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT), a role he continued to passionately serve in until his death. 653 acres of land were preserved at ACLT during his time as Executive Director, representing 40% of the Trust's currently owned land. In 2021, Greg was awarded the Maryland Sustainable Growth Award in the Leadership Category from the Maryland Department of Planning.

Former ACLT board member, John Little said that "Greg spent his whole life dedicated to community and was a huge reason any of us still choose to live in Calvert County. He will be incredibly missed." Greg's hard work and dedication is written in the landscape of Southern Maryland.

Greg was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in the winter of 2023. After going into remission that summer, the cancer returned and was very aggressive. He cared for his mother until his passing and for his wife who battled colon cancer until she passed away in October 2024. His devotion to Calvert County and ACLT was evident as he continued going into the office and attending and participating in public hearings until the week prior to his death.

Greg was preceded in death by his wife, Tamea W. Bowen, and is survived by his mother, Lucille C. Bowen, his sister, Kay B. Thompson, his children, Emily E. Mudd and Nathan W. Bowen, and his grandchildren, Celia and Alice Meiklejohn Bowen.

A Celebration of Life is being planned in his honor. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the American Chestnut Land Trust.