Michael Bowen,
B.S.B.A. in finance, ’92

Alumni Commitment Award

Michael Bowen attributes much of his success as a real estate developer to Central Michigan University, so much so that he has made a donation to create a professorship of real estate finance within the College of Business Administration.

“It was at CMU that I realized how competitive the world is, and I was going to have to work hard to get up to speed,” Bowen said. “CMU has a clear path to success for anyone willing to step up and take the challenge.”

Bowen started down his path when he launched his banking career as a commercial loan officer, based on the recommendation of finance and law professor Rose Prasad.

“This was great advice because banking is great training for many other avenues of life,” Bowen said.

From there he worked for a publicly traded real estate investment trust before starting his own business in 1998. He is founder and CEO of Westwood Development Group LLC, which specializes in developing open-air shopping centers nationwide. Project locations include sites in Michigan, Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana, Arizona, Utah, and Florida. The company currently has development projects totaling approximately $175 million.

While CMU sparked Bowen’s drive for success, he also met his wife, Julie, as an undergraduate here. She was a communication disorders student, and both of them worked as residence hall assistants. To this day Julie is involved in all business decisions.

The Bowens have two sons, Joey, 7, and Jake, 5.