Bowman Assumes Leadership Role For Alumni Association | Eastern North Carolina Now

 Publisher's note: The author of this post, Joy Holster, is a contributor to ECU News Services.

 Heath Bowman was named president of the East Carolina Alumni Association and associate vice chancellor for alumni relations at East Carolina University. He began his duties Oct. 14.

 Bowman is a recognized alumni relations professional with 10 years of management and higher education leadership experience. Most recently, Bowman served as director of outreach at the Arkansas Alumni Association, which has more than 26,000 dues-paying alumni members and nearly 2,500 dues-paying student members.

 "This is a tremendous honor and honestly very humbling," said Bowman. "Pirate Nation has so much to be proud of. To be trusted to lead and grow alumni relations efforts at such a respected and innovative institution is the opportunity of a lifetime and a responsibility that I will take very seriously. I am excited to build on past successes and to blaze new paths for East Carolina and its alumni association."

 ECU Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Christopher Dyba said, "Heath brings a wealth of knowledge, management skills, connections across the profession, and vision to the position, as well as commitment to make ECU and eastern North Carolina his family's home."

 Bowman earned his bachelor's degree in hospitality management at Texas Tech University in 2007, and his master's degree in higher education leadership at the University of Arkansas in 2011.

 He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Ashley, since 2008. She is a speech-language pathologist specializing in treatment of geriatric patients recovering from post-op and post-stroke impairments.

 "The excitement here is contagious," Bowman said.

 "The moment my wife, Ashley, and I set foot in Greenville, we knew that this was the place we were meant to be. It immediately felt like home. I feel lucky to be in a place where I can use my skillset and past experiences to benefit a place as special as ECU. Ashley and I are so excited to be Pirates! Arrrgh!"