LCDR Matt Bowman, U.S. Navy retired is a native of Walterboro, S.C.. The child of an Army officer he attended 8 schools in 11 countries/states, including Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology. He left high school early to attend college. He is a
graduate of Florida A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He went to Aviation Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an Ensign. He went to flight school in Pensacola, graduating in the top of his class in Primary Flight School, and was selected for the tactical jet pipeline. He was winged as a Naval Flight Officer in 1994 and received assignment as an Electronic Countermeasures Officer flying the EA6B aircraft in Whidbey Island, Washington. LCDR Bowman served at sea for 5 years aboard many aircraft carriers including the USS KITTY HAWK, USS CARL VINSON, USS, HARRY S TRUMAN, USS ENTERPRISE, and USS RONALD REAGAN. He served ashore at the US Southern  Command as the Counterdrug

Subject Matter Expert (Andean Ridge, Tri-border region, Narco-terrorism) where he conducted operations in various South

American Countries. He also has extensive experience in Human Capital  Management serving in Washington D.C. at the Navy Headquarters as the Acting Director of Diversity for the U.S. Navy. He was responsible for diversity policy affecting 338,000 active duty sailors, 175,000 reservists and civilians.

Upon retirement in 2011, he left Washington D.C and returned to Micanopy, Florida. He operated a boutique Diversity consulting practice with clients including Department of Energy, U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of Education, and other commercial clients. In 2013, he began work on Micanopy Winery at Countryside Vineyard on a 16-acre parcel in Micanopy, Florida. In 2013, he was also handpicked as the Executive Director of the Stars and Stripes Committee. The Stars and Stripes Committee is a group of 12 retired Admirals and Generals with the mission of creating more engineers of America. In this capacity, Matt works closely with senior leaders from all five services and the National Guard Bureau to build the nations STEM capacity. He is currently on the board of Minorities for Medical Marijuana. He is also active in the Gainesville Rotary and is Paul
Harris Fellow.

Matt is married to Dr. Crystal Bowman and is the proud father of
three children.