Concorde Staff
Hooray for Hollywood! Or, in this instance, hooray for Concorde-North Hollywood. In our ongoing series introducing readers to our Campus Presidents (CPs), we venture this week out west, to the land of glitz and glamor, to Tinseltown, La-La Land. We travel to North Hollywood, Calif. to meet CP Carmen Bowen, who's been with Concorde 11 years.
In this installment of, Get to Know Your CPs, Bowen offers a discourse on her previous lives as a restaurant owner and airline corporate trainer, to her love of vintage TV shows and movies, to her affinity for music. We hope you enjoy learning more about Carmen.
What's been your journey to becoming a Concorde CP?
Prior to starting a career in education, I worked as a corporate trainer at an airline, served as an administrator at a home health company, owned a restaurant, earned my MBA, taught business classes at a college in Dallas and had a "cool job" as a sales trainer for a telecommunications company.
After my "cool job" was eliminated because of budget cuts, I had to reinvent myself. I took a job as an instructor at a college in Dallas and was quickly promoted to Program Chair of the Business Department and the Academic Dean.
When life prompted me to change the scenery in my world, I landed at Concorde in North Hollywood as Academic Dean, which I proudly served for five years.
I was then promoted to be the West Region Academic Affairs Specialist, which included a six-month residency in San Diego as interim Campus President. It seems like all these jobs and experiences prepared me for this wonderful adventure. I truly love serving the students and community.
In an environment where we do most of the teaching, what lessons have you learned from Concorde students?
Students have taught me much over the years, but the biggest lesson is to not assume.
When you were a child, what was your dream job?
Growing up I wanted to be a singer, a teacher, a lawyer, and a nurse. Well, the teaching came true. My path was not direct, but I'm glad I got on the education highway!
What was the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Try to live in the moment and be aware. Take time to see and experience things while they are happening.
What is your favorite TV show, recent movie you've seen or book you've read?
My favorite pastime is watching TV, and my favorite TV shows are Law and Order (all of the franchises) and Scandal.
Vintage movies are favorites of mine as well, such as Sunset Boulevard and The Birds. Every year I go to the summer cemetery screenings at Hollywood Forever cemetery to enjoy old movies with a few thousand movie buffs.
Tell us about your immediate family
My life consists of my two children, a daughter-in-law, five grandchildren, two cats, and my mom. Collectively, there is never a dull moment. My son is a proud Concorde graduate who has a great career in Respiratory Therapy/Informatics. My daughter is a budding actress who cried recently when she saw herself on HBO.
Do you have a hidden talent, favorite hobby or little-known fact?
Music is what I enjoy most, and I still sing from time to time. I proudly own an iPod Touch, and it has more than 5,000 songs on it. I never leave home without it.
Next Steps?
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