Age: 38
Job Title: Director, NAIT Relaunch Coordination Team
After spending 13 years in the Canadian Armed Forces as a soldier and infantry officer, Josh Bowen was at a loss for how to get a job outside of the military. His network directed him towards a teaching job at NAIT’s Emergency Management Program.
His past experience made him a perfect fit for the role; in the military, he was involved in five major national responses while leading disaster relief for Western Canada and the Arctic.
Three weeks into his position, the dean asked him what he’d change about the program. Bowen said he would add professional-development opportunities for those already in the field.
In 2018, that idea led to the development of NAIT’s Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management. Meanwhile, Bowen designed an emergency simulation lab where touch screens help students address disaster scenarios.
When NAIT closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, Bowen became the director of the relaunch coordination team and the co-chair of the relaunch advisory committee, while also helping to create a COVID-19 tracking dashboard.
Bowen wants other veterans to find fulfillment in civilian life in the same way he has. He helped start an Edmonton chapter of the Treble Victor Group, which assists veterans with transitioning into civilian jobs. “I was helped so much by people who blazed the trail and I just wanted to make sure that I was giving back.”
This article appears in the November 2020 issue of Edify
