FERNANDINA FACES BY DICKIE ANDERSON

FERNANDINA FACES BY DICKIE ANDERSON

Karen Bowden

PHOTO BY STEVE LEIMBERG, UNSEENIMAGES.COM

Karen Bowden is if nothing else organized and determined.

When she contemplated retirement after a successful career in hospital administration and software development/ sales in the Northeast, she had her priorities. She wanted a coastal location, a warm climate, and no more snowy winters.

Her 30-year hospital career took her to Pittsburgh and Boston. While in Boston, she started her own consulting business. Her team developed software that required a large data center as the customer base grew. The business was successful, and she was able to sell her business to a much larger, international company, where she stayed on as a member of their executive team until she retired in 2020.

This talented woman wasted no time getting involved in her new community, and she recognized that the Newcomers Club was a great place to get involved. The club offers social connections and a wide variety of activities. She joined, got involved, and has just finished her term as president!

Her love of photography connected her to the Plantation Artists’ Guild & Gallery (PAGG). PAGG is a cooperative gallery run by exhibiting artists located in The Shops at Omni Amelia Island. Again, once involved, Karen shared her leadership skills and is currently on the board and serves as the Gallery Director. She helped coordinate a recent renovation of the gallery and is responsible for coordinating new exhibits on a quarterly basis. Her striking photographs are on display at the gallery.

When COVID brought everything to a halt, this high energy woman brought together a group of gallery members and together they created the successful traveling photographic exhibit, “2020-A Look Back.” The exhibit invited community members to submit photos that captured their experiences during the year 2020, a year like no other, as we all know.

In addition, she is on the board of Amelia Community Theatre, coordinating their sponsorship program and helping with this year’s summer youth camp programs. Karen also volunteers her time and photography skills to the Amelia Island Book Festival.

She has loved travel since a high school summer trip to France. One memorable trip shortly before her retirement was walking the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James. There are several ancient pilgrimage trails leading to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, including one through Portugal. Karen and a friend choose the Portugal path and walked 175 miles over 13 days. She is looking forward to a photography trip to Sicily in the fall. Her future will include more trips to new places and learning about different cultures. You can bet the trips will be carefully cataloged through her stunning photographs.

She has a daughter and three grandchildren in Lynn, Massachusetts. No pets except the neighborhood cat named Cat, who adopted her. She loves the energy of Amelia Island’s art community, the strong connection to the giving and generous spirit of the people who live here, local parades and festivals, and of course, the beautiful beaches.

Karen found her perfect home here, and Amelia Island is lucky to have this multi-talented woman contributing so much to her adopted community.