4 minute read
Flying High
Story by: Jacki Donaldson
Matt Bowman was born in the low country of South Carolina and a month later, his dad enlisted in the United States Army. Matt went on to live with his family all over the world, from Germany to Puerto Rico and up and down the entire East Coast. When the kid who attended 11 schools in 11 years thought about settling down as an adult, one city came to mind: Miami. He wanted a house on the water, a nice car, and plenty of money. Matt did eventually land in Miami but not until he’d accomplished many impressive feats.
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Matt’s first stop was Florida A&M University (FAMU), where he spent three years in Army ROTC. He didn’t love the experience, but his dad, an Officer in the Army, urged him to give it a try. “My focus was on making money,” Matt said. “I wanted to go into pharmaceutical sales and move to Miami.”
Money did arrive for Matt, but not by way of pharmaceutical sales. A man named Captain Ron Beasley, a two time Navy Recruiter of the Year started calling looking for Matt’s college roommate. Eventually, unable to get in touch with the roommate, he started engaging Matt about opportunities in the Navy. “I told him I’m not going to do it,” Matt said. “And then he started listening to my vision and talking to me about aviation. He told me I could do something big and make a lot of money. ‘Now, you are talking,’ I told him, and instead of selling drugs, I ended up drilling holes in the sky.”
Matt transitioned from Army ROTC to a Navy scholarship, earning $3,000 per month while in school and also partnering in several entrepreneurial ventures, like a nightclub and a sandwich shop, and balancing his academics and leadership pursuits (he was involved in Student Government and was president of his residence hall). After graduating from FAMU in 1992, he was picked to fly Navy jets. His dad, who had always wanted to fly, was ecstatic. Matt, who moved to Pensacola to train, was pretty thrilled as well. “I knew I wanted to do something exciting with my life, and the Navy provided it.”
In 1994, Matt became a winged navigator. He went to Seattle for two years for flight training on the Prowler and then spent the next 15 years off and on doing cruises all over the world — Iraq, Hawaii, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, and . . . Miami, where he served for three years combatting narcotic terrorism in South America. With his wife, Crystal, a pharmacist he met during his last semester at FAMU, Matt had a house on the water, a fancy car, and money. He did not stay in Miami, though.
He moved to the Pentagon and served as the Acting Director of Diversity for the Navy, and in 2011, he retired to Micanopy, where Crystal’s family lives. With three kids in tow (daughter Moria was born in 2005, son Matthew in 2009, and daughter Margaret in 2011), Matt set out on an exciting new path that he is vigorously pursuing today. Matt, now 48 years old, works as a government consultant by day and as a farmer during his free time. He owns a winery in Micanopy, where he makes and sells sweet wines and hosts events. He also farms an organic garden and is in line for a hemp license so he can begin growing and selling to retail outlets. Matt hopes that as an African American man, he won’t be left out of the fast-growing marijuana business, which is currently dominated by white men.
Matt is committed to furthering the African American experience in his sphere. “Gainesville Black Professionals (GBP) is one of the most important entities I support,” he said. “Gainesville, of any city I’ve ever been to, is most in need of change. GBP helps folks seize the opportunities that are here.
Help won’t come from anywhere other than ourselves.” In the spirit of helping, Matt gives to young people through BEYA Stars and Stripes Mentoring Program, which offers an invaluable experience to middle and high school students and engineering majors from local colleges and universities who engage with nearly 100 flag officers of all services in inspirational conversation, guidance, and mentorship.
Matt Bowman is a lot of things — pilot, consultant, farmer, entrepreneur, husband, father, mentor, and more — and he is grateful for those who have inspired and supported him. “I owe it to them to make something of myself,” he said.
Matt has surely made something of himself. And his road to success, which is nowhere near the end, is nothing short of amazing. “This journey has exceeded my wildest expectations,” Matt said.
