[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 17, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E400-E401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO THE LATE JOAN BOWMAN, MAYOR OF LENEXA, KS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 2004

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, on Monday of this week, I attended the 
funeral of an outstanding public servant who was taken from us too 
soon. Former Lenexa, KS, Mayor Joan Bowman died on March 11 after 26 
years of dedicated public service to the community that is my home.
  Joan Bowman died after a long battle with cancer. This longtime 
community leader, volunteer and advocate for education and individuals 
with disabilities was elected Lenexa mayor in 1995 and 1999. She was 
first elected to the Lenexa City Council in 1987, the same year she was 
inducted into the Lenexa Volunteer Hall of Fame. Her career in public 
office began in 1978 as a member of the Shawnee Mission West High 
School Advisory Board. In 1981, she began the first of two terms on the 
Shawnee Mission Board of Education, where she served as board president 
for 2 years. In her honor, flags at Lenexa city hall were flown at half 
staff.
  Last month, the people of Lenexa dedicated to former Mayor Bowman a 
7-foot, bronze statue of Na Nex Se, the Shawnee Native American woman 
after whom Lenexa was named. Dedicated to Bowman for her leadership and 
service to our community, the statue was funded with city resources and 
through a local letter writing campaign, which ultimately raised $8,000 
more than was needed. I hope that Joan Bowman's legacy, as embodied in 
the Na Nex Se statue, will inspire future generations of Lenexans to 
make significant contributions to our community. Mr. Speaker, I include 
in the Record for your review a copy of the Kansas City Star's obituary 
regarding this remarkable, dedicated public servant.

               [From the Kansas City Star, Mar. 12, 2004]

                        Former Lenexa Mayor Dies

                           (By Eugene Scott)

       Former Lenexa Mayor Joan Bowman, who was an advocate for 
     education and persons with disabilities in her 26 years of 
     public service, died Thursday after battling cancer. She was 
     63.
       Bowman was respected as a volunteer and an officeholder, 
     and news of her battle with cancer had been widespread in 
     recent years.
       In February, city officials dedicated a statue of Na Nex 
     Se, the Shawnee American Indian woman after whom Lenexa was 
     named, to Bowman in honor of her service and leadership.
       Bowman was elected mayor twice, in 1995 and 1999. She was 
     elected to the city council in 1987, the same year she was 
     inducted into the Lenexa Volunteer Hall of Fame.
       Current Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm said Bowman's desire to 
     implement projects in Lenexa's best interest greatly enhanced 
     the city.
       ``Her biggest impact on Lenexa was that she took a 
     reasonable approach. Joan would study every issue brought 
     before her, and give it the necessary attention,'' he said.
       Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn worked with Bowman on the Johnson 
     County/Wyandotte County Council of Mayors and developed a 
     personal friendship.
       ``She was an outstanding leader, and a wonderful mentor to 
     those of us who knew her,'' she said. ``She was always ready 
     to listen, and to give . . . wise counsel.''
       While Bowman formed friendships with other political 
     leaders, Dunn said her ability to separate professional and 
     personal relationships made her an effective leader.
       ``Her ability to see the big picture in every situation, to 
     rise above personal feelings and do what was really the best 
     thing for the greater good encouraged others to do so as 
     well,'' Dunn said.
       Rich Becker, Lenexa's mayor when Bowman was elected to the 
     city council, admired her strong work ethic. ``She was the 
     toughest woman I ever met in my life,'' he said.

[[Page E401]]

     ``She was very meticulous, and she wanted to make sure that 
     all the i's were dotted and all the t's were crossed.''
       While demanding, Bowman was humble, Becker said, and 
     realized that being a team player would lead to success for 
     everyone involved.
       ``She liked to involve as many people as she could in 
     making decisions. She was involved in so many things, and 
     very easy to work with. She was the kind of person you look 
     up to and say `nice job,' '' he said.
       Her career in public office began in 1978 as a member of 
     the Shawnee Mission West Advisory Board. In 1981, she served 
     the first of two terms on the Shawnee Mission Board of 
     Education. She was board president for two years.
       Julie Miller, a Shawnee Mission school board member for 16 
     years, met Bowman when the two served on the district's 
     advisory boards. She remembers Bowman being consistently 
     well-informed and dependable. ``She was a brilliant person. 
     You could always count on Joan,'' she said.
       Before beginning her career in public service, Bowman 
     taught math at junior high schools in the Shawnee Mission 
     district. She graduated from Pittsburg State University in 
     1962.
       David Watkins, Lenexa's city administrator for 19 years 
     before leaving to accept a position as city administrator in 
     Auburn, Ala., said Bowman's experience in education allowed 
     her to communicate effectively with community members while 
     listening to their concerns:
       ``She could take complex issues like the watershed program, 
     and take all that technical info and reformat it to citizen 
     groups in a manner that they can understand.''
       She was on the Lenexa Convention and Visitors Bureau board, 
     the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, and was 
     a member of the Lenexa Historical Society.
       Council member Diane Linver said that despite Bowman's 
     numerous offices and accolades, she would want to be 
     remembered as a person who cared about her family and her 
     community.
       ``She was a wonderful wife, a wonderful mother and a 
     wonderful friend,'' she said.
       Survivors include her husband, Ed, and two sons.

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