Photo of Joshua J. Bowen ABR, SRS

Joshua J. Bowen ABR, SRS

J Bowen & Company
At-Large Director

WHY DO YOU WANT TO SERVE AS A DIRECTOR?

I would like to serve as a Director for the future of our membership and of our organization.

We are at a pivotal time and the choices we make over the next few years will impact present policy but also everyone’s future in the industry as well as the perception and experience of our clients and our community.

The focus of the board, the membership and of local stakeholders has never been as imperative as in this moment. I believe that my experiences in business, change management and service would provide invaluable perspective to our ongoing conversations and policies as they are developed.

It would be an honor to be part of the team that charts the next course.

EDUCATION

Number of Years Licensed: 9.5

Type of License Held: Broker

Position held in your company: Owner/ Principal Broker

Hondros + others, Specialized Business degree

Earned the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation and the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation in 2024.

NOR INVOLVEMENT

  • 2022, 2023 & 2024 Legislative & Government Affairs Committee
  • 2023, 2024 NOR RPAC Captains

OR INVOLVEMENT

  • 2023 State Political Coordinator District 41
  • 2024 State Political Coordinator District 41
  • 2024-2025 State Political Coordinator District 41 & 43

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

  • I’ve been a member of the Elks for 18 years starting off in Sandusky then Swanton and now Sylvania.
  • Served on the House Committee and various other functions (mainly cooking and event planning) hosting fundraisers for Special Olympics, Athletic Boosters, community events, fishing tournaments and Veteran functions.
  • Worked with The University Church & Food for Thought through the Woodforest Charitable Foundation and Woodforest National Bank to grow their community garden.
  • Held financial literacy classes for parents at Reynolds Elementary School teaching the FDIC Money Smart curriculum.
  • Organized backpack distribution for elementary school students for summer time and weekend food supplementation in coordination with NW Ohio Foodbank.
  • Work with Leading Families Home and Family House to place clients into housing. Hosted and sponsored Christmas for all of the resident children at the Family House for 2 seasons.
  • Work with various organizations, TASK, GLAP, Toledo Homelessness Board, Lutheran Social Services, to assist residents in transition and placement into stabilized housing.
  • Board Member of WCR 2023-2024 raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House.
  • Sponsor of the 419 Music Fest supporting Springfield Township and Sylvania Township Fire departments.
  • We are a member of the BBB, Toledo Chamber, Sylvania Chamber, Holland-Springfield Chamber, and of BNI NW Ohio

FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT EXPERIENCE

From my earlier role in restaurant management to catering, event planning & resorts then banking, I have had various capacities of financial oversight which I have served. As a business owner, sustainable growth and longevity of a business is based in transparent and measurable financials both on the operations side as well as on the client side. As I have grown businesses, those needs change based on volume and depth. From a banking perspective, I was responsible for the cash in my vault (many times exceeding 1 million dollars) as well as client accounts and internal GL accounts. As I have built a business for myself, the same applies. From development of a chart of accounts from scratch using GAAP to daily operations including payroll, benefits, insurances and trust accounts holding client funds from 5-10 million and weekly expenses of $150k, I am very familiar with financial oversight.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS EXPERIENCE

I enjoy working with Ohio REALTORS as an SPC and serving on the Legislative Committee locally. Our time interviewing and discussing candidates for local office is a highlight.

Meeting with my Representative and discussing policy and building relationships with his staff has been rewarding and I’m looking forward to doing the same with Rep. Grim of District 43 as well as whomever is elected to 41. I participate in the Call for Action campaigns, am an advocate for RPAC and NORRPAC, contribute as a Golden R and participate in Presidents Circle and have attended several conferences promoting REALTOR Champions.

COMMUNICATIONS EXPERIENCE

In high school I participated in choirs of all kinds, musicals and speech & debate. I was the first in our school’s history to make it to the state championship for oratorical interpretation.

Writing is a passion and over the years I have written numerous blogs and articles on topics such as leadership, business and mental health.

Speaking publicly about business related topics, leadership and social issues has also been a component of my career as I was a trainer in the hospitality field, branch manager in banking and instructor in other capacities.

STRATEGIC PLANNING EXPERIENCE

Planning is a critical component of any successful organization. From financial and budgetary to monitoring market trends and navigating change, we are only as strong as the plans we create and how we use grace to implement them.

Collaboration with a leadership team to create structure, contingencies and measurement metrics to lead implementation is paramount to success.

In every position and business I have held or operated, reaching out to advisors and following a process for strategic planning for operations has been key.

TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE

Technology is a component of everything in some form. It comes with opportunity as well as challenge. On the opportunity side; we can implements tools that allow us to be more productive, reach new audiences and communicate in ways that enhance operational and client experience.

On the challenge side; we have selection of the correct tools and then training and implementation. This can be the most difficult component of technology if the rate of adoption is low due to educational barriers and bias.

In business I have used graphical user interfaces (GUI’s) as a bridge between software and older DOS menu based products. With my IT advisor, migrated operating processes from hardware based to cloud based then from G-Suite to Microsoft Teams and to single sign on capacity at any workstation.

We use AI in our business now to assist with accounting functions, read and sort email traffic and manage/create customer facing content.

REAL ESTATE TRENDS EXPERIENCE

I attend National as well as state conferences and trainings, read news from multiple sources to gain knowledge of trends. I work in the field, talk with prospects and clients as well as fellow REALTORS and brokers to gain insight.

From the NAR published news updates as well as the OR videos from legal counsel and attending broker round table meetings at NOR, I stay current.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Over the past 20 years I have spent my career as a manager of staff, director of operations or, for the past 10 years, as a self-employed business owner. I have sought out service and leadership training through books, conferences, personal coaching, community activities as well as in business groups. I have had teams large and small in my charge. Restaurants, Hotels, Resorts, Banking, Real Estate and Development. What I have learned most about being a leader comes through serving, listening, and at times, giving grace to others and to myself.

An excerpt of something I wrote on the topic a few years ago:

For me, leadership is a multifaceted, daily & deliberate accountability to serve. To serve others. To serve a purpose and, yes, to serve yourself with constant evaluation and reflection on those activities.

Seneca once wrote, “You must live for others if you want to live for yourself.”

The statement is both profound but also a little fuzzy.

Let me clarify; when you place yourself in the service of others, you accept that we all suffer from the same condition; we are fallible. We make mistakes. We have strengths but also weaknesses. When you place yourself in the service of others, you must see that the actions you take not only set the stage for whatever comes next but also be mindful of those around you. We are constantly evaluating the impact of the current and those effects on the future.

When we choose leadership, we also select accountability and responsibility for ourselves, our clients, our team, and, in the larger context, our community.

Service is a calling that evolves individuals into leaders because it is only in the service of others that we can truly know ourselves.