Robert L. Bowser is the 12th Mayor of the City of East Orange, now in his third term. Prior to his election to office, Mayor Bowser served as the Principal Engineer for the Newark Public School District. Trained as a Civil Engineer, Planner and Surveyor, Mayor Bowser was President for 16 years of Bowser Engineers and Associates, Inc., an East Orange-based engineering, planning, surveying and architectural design firm. His firm grew to become one of the largest minority-owned consulting firms on the East Coast. Mayor Bowser was a professional Land Surveyor and is a Professional Planner in the State of New Jersey.
Following his experience as the head of a successful business, Mayor Bowser served for 5 years as the Director of Public Works for East Orange, as well as the Acting City Planner. Mayor Bowser worked for 3 years as a Principal City Planner for the Newark Central Planning Board and was appointed as the Traffic Engineer for the Township of Montclair, New Jersey for 5 years.
Active in numerous community, social and civic affairs, Mayor Bowser served on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Essex County, New Jersey for 10 years and was a member of the Brick Church Lions Club; President of the East Orange Kiwanis Club and Chairman of the Rutgers University Urban Gardening Program Advisory Board. He was the Founder and Executive Director of the Essex County Touch Football League for 28 years and is a member of the Men of Essex, Inc., Board member of the Salvation Army, member of the Board of Trustees of East Orange General Hospital.
Mayor Bowser’s professional affiliations include: Past President of Northern New Jersey Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors; Member of the National Minority Contractors Association. Mayor Bowser is on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors and co-chairs the Legislative Committee. He is on the Board of Directors for the National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc. and served as President for 2006-2007. Mayor Bowser is a founder of the New Jersey Conference of Black Mayors and was selected as President in 2003, is a member of the United States Conference of Mayors, Inc., and serves on the Advisory Board. Mayor Bowser serves on the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Executive Board as the Essex County representative. He served as President of the League in 2008. He also serves on the Legislative Committee and Economic Development Committee, participating on numerous League Workshops. Mayor Bowser is a member of the New Jersey Urban Mayor’s Association. Mayor Bowser is a graduate of East Orange High School and Newark College of Engineering, (NJIT) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Additionally, Mayor Bowser has done graduate work in Traffic Engineering at Northwestern University, Structural Engineering at City College of New York and Business Administration at New York University.
Mayor Bowser has a son, David Bowser, a Public Relations and Media Consultant in New Orleans; a daughter, Lisa A. Ward, an Academic Administrator for the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.; and a daughter, Leslie J. Ward, a Doctoral Candidate at George Washington University, and Elementary School Teacher. His wife, Marilyn, retired as a Manager at Chubb Insurance Group.
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