Buena Park, CA (July 15th, 2021) – After a four-month search, Giving Children Hope is excited to announce the selection of Pete Bowen as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 2021.
Bowen succeeds Sean Lawrence who left Giving Children Hope earlier this year after 10 years of service.
With a background in non-profits, business, education, and the military, Bowen brings a wealth of leadership experience and a passion for serving children and families in local communities. Most recently, Bowen served 14 years as the president of Servite High School and has more than 20 years of experience serving as a consultant on high-performance leadership, culture, and ethics. Bowen has served Giving Children Hope as a board member and volunteer for two years.
“I have been part of the life-changing impact that Giving Children Hope has on children and families,” Bowen said. “Those experiences changed my life too. They inspired me to an even deeper commitment to serve children and families in our community. I am humbled at and excited by this opportunity to serve side-by-side with thousands of our amazing volunteers and staff to strengthen children and families in need. Join us at Giving Children Hope to help transform the lives of our children and families, and change our nation and world while doing it.”
“We are very excited to have Pete taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer of Giving Children Hope,” said James Wilcox, the Board Chair. “Pete brings an exceptional combination of energy, sensitivity, and proven leadership to help Giving Children Hope meet the challenges of children and families in crisis. We expect Pete to work with volunteers, partners, and donors to expand our programs to help more people in need.”
Bowen grew up in Orange County before receiving his B.A. at the University of Notre Dame and becoming an AV-8B Harrier pilot in the US Marine Corps. While a Marine, Bowen taught leadership, ethics, and military history at Duke University, and received his M.A. in Liberal Studies with a focus on intellectual history, leadership, ethics, and culture. Bowen returned to Southern California where he served as the ethics officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District and president of Servite High School. For more than 20 years, Bowen has been an author, speaker, and consultant on leadership, culture, and ethics to businesses, non-profits, and government.
Bowen has been married to his wife Angie for 33 years and has three daughters. He enjoys road trips, good conversation, and meeting people.