M. Scott Bowen
Board Member, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
Director, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Through a variety of positions – as a member of the City Commission in Grand Rapids, as a district court judge, and later as director of the Office of State Employer under Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and as director of the Lottery Commission under Gov. Granholm and Gov. Rick Snyder – DNR Director Scott Bowen brings a long history of public service to Michigan.
Before his state government service, Bowen served as a Grand Rapids city commissioner and later as a judge of the 62-A District Court in Wyoming, Michigan, after being appointed to the bench by Gov. Granholm in 2003. That appointment came while he was a partner at McInerney & Bowen, having previously founded the firm of Bowen, Distel & Haynes P.L.C. Bowen also was city attorney for multiple West Michigan cities and worked as special assistant attorney general for the Michigan Department of Transportation.
His career afforded Bowen valuable experience in cabinet-level work in state government; relationship building at the local, regional and state level; red tape reduction that allows people to focus on doing their best work; and the importance of listening and learning before acting.
Bowen earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Michigan State University and a law degree from the University of Detroit. He has been an active member of the State Bar of Michigan for more than 30 years.
He grew up fishing for walleye on Lake Gogebic with his grandfather, who hailed from Mass City. Those early experiences created an enthusiastic angler who gets on the water whenever he can.
Bowen has spent most of his life in Grand Rapids. He and his wife, Annie, have raised four children and are fortunate to have two grandchildren, whom Bowen hopes will come to enjoy Michigan’s woods and water as much as he does.