Andrew Bowles, Executive Assistant to Regional Chairman
Posted by Roseanne Morissette
"The future of the region of Niagara is far brighter having Andrew there, and the future of our club is far brighter having Andrew here." - Rob Welch
Bob McBride introduced Andrew Bowles, a Rotarian who was newly inducted only a few months ago.
Andrew was a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar at the University of Nottingham (UK). He completed his MA International Relations program with an award of Merit. His Masters dissertation discussed information warfare and its impact upon critical infrastructure. Andrew had completed his Honours Baccalaureate degree in Policital Science at the University of Western where he received the Martin W. Westmacott award. Andrew attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines.
Andrew's work history includes an internship with the Chief Administrative Officer at the City of St. Catharines; serving as a Development Strategy Researcher for the City of St. Catharines Department of Economic Development and Tourism Services; and working as a Communications Coordinator for the St. Catharines Downtown Business Association. Today, as Executive Assistant to the Regional Chairman, Andrew's duties include providing policy advice, speech and correspondence writing, liaising with other levels of government (both Canadian and International), conference organization, media relations, providing supervision for office staff, and ensuring the smooth operation of the Office of the Regional Chairman on a day-to-day basis.
Of his University of Nottingham experience, Andrew noted "the University of Nottingham is one of the best universities in the UK. It draws thousands of students from all over the world making the university extremely multi-cultural and a very desirable place to study international relations. During my time at Nottingham, I had the privilege of studying under the guidance of Professor Richard Aldrich, one of the leading scholars of British Foreign, Security, and Intelligence policy. I was also fortunate to make friends with people from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Russia, Vietnam, Laos, Mauritius, Turkey, Greece, both sides of the Cyprus, Serbia, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Kenya, the US, other Canadians, and, of course, people from all over the UK. Everyone I met were shining examples of the best and the brightest their countries had to offer. And although I was excited to interact with people from different cultures, their experiences reminded me of how fortunate we are to live in such a place as Canada...I had the pleasure of getting to know people who lived in Belgrade and Novistad Serbia, two of the Serbian cities hardest hit by NATO during the Kosovo conflict, and people who escaped the brutality of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge and the 'Killing Fields' in Cambodia. You cannot help but be inspired by these people as you can see in their eyes that they are committed to helping obtain a better existence for their fellow countrymen...the scholarship helped to instil in me a firm belief that getting to know people at a real grass roots level and taking the time to understand the differences and similarities between cultures is a key component of the path towards international peace."
With respect to living in the UK, Andrew commented "...A very positive experience. Since the end of World War II, the face of Britain has changed dramatically. British fare no longer mainly consists of fish and chips and roast beef. Chicken Tikka Masala is now as common as Yorkshire Puddings. Britain is truly a cosmopolitan country, and the influence of immigrants to Britain is felt everywhere - food, music, television, clothing, etc. This reflects the change that has been taking place in Britain over the years."
Regarding the opportunity to work as Executive Assistant to the Regional Chairman, Andrew states "My job straddles a fine line between being a member of staff and a political operative. I am the only member of Regional staff whose employment at the Region is contingent upon the electoral success of the Chairman. Working in the office of the Chairman allows me to get a first-hand look at the services provided by the Region to the citizens of Niagara. I would be among the first to admit that the Region does not do a good enough job of communicating with the public about its responsiblities and the services it provides. Each one of us at some point during the day is touched by services provided by Niagara region be it the water we use to shower in the morning, the green box we use to dispose of our dinner scraps, or the public health inspectors that monitor the quality of food we eat at restaurants or purchase at a grocery store. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of my job is assisting the Chairman in advocating to senior levels of government on behalf of Niagara as he did during his Niagara Week missions to Toronto and Ottawa...I believe the success of those missions can be attributed to the focused message that was delivered by Chairman Partington and our other Niagara representatives - the need for the Provincial Places to Grow Plan to take into account the Region's Policy Plan; the need to strengthen and further develop transportation infrastructure in Niagara; and the need to provide support to those communities whose urban boundaries are now frozen by the Greenbelt."
As to what Andrew sees ahead for Niagara in 2006: "We will repeat our missions to Toronto and Ottawa in order to build upon and enhance the relationships that have been developed. The Chairman will continue to champion the need to develop the Niagara-GTA corridor, the need to continue the expansion of the 406 south into Port Colborne, and the need to establish a new Regional Route connecting what will hopefully be a new section of the 406 with the QEW in the area of the Peace Bridge...There are, indeed, some very exciting times ahead of us here in Niagara."
Rob Welch thanked Andrew and noted that "the future of the region of Niagara is far brighter having Andrew there and the future of our club is far brighter having Andrew here."
Andrew was a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar at the University of Nottingham (UK). He completed his MA International Relations program with an award of Merit. His Masters dissertation discussed information warfare and its impact upon critical infrastructure. Andrew had completed his Honours Baccalaureate degree in Policital Science at the University of Western where he received the Martin W. Westmacott award. Andrew attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines.
Andrew's work history includes an internship with the Chief Administrative Officer at the City of St. Catharines; serving as a Development Strategy Researcher for the City of St. Catharines Department of Economic Development and Tourism Services; and working as a Communications Coordinator for the St. Catharines Downtown Business Association. Today, as Executive Assistant to the Regional Chairman, Andrew's duties include providing policy advice, speech and correspondence writing, liaising with other levels of government (both Canadian and International), conference organization, media relations, providing supervision for office staff, and ensuring the smooth operation of the Office of the Regional Chairman on a day-to-day basis.
Of his University of Nottingham experience, Andrew noted "the University of Nottingham is one of the best universities in the UK. It draws thousands of students from all over the world making the university extremely multi-cultural and a very desirable place to study international relations. During my time at Nottingham, I had the privilege of studying under the guidance of Professor Richard Aldrich, one of the leading scholars of British Foreign, Security, and Intelligence policy. I was also fortunate to make friends with people from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Russia, Vietnam, Laos, Mauritius, Turkey, Greece, both sides of the Cyprus, Serbia, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Kenya, the US, other Canadians, and, of course, people from all over the UK. Everyone I met were shining examples of the best and the brightest their countries had to offer. And although I was excited to interact with people from different cultures, their experiences reminded me of how fortunate we are to live in such a place as Canada...I had the pleasure of getting to know people who lived in Belgrade and Novistad Serbia, two of the Serbian cities hardest hit by NATO during the Kosovo conflict, and people who escaped the brutality of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge and the 'Killing Fields' in Cambodia. You cannot help but be inspired by these people as you can see in their eyes that they are committed to helping obtain a better existence for their fellow countrymen...the scholarship helped to instil in me a firm belief that getting to know people at a real grass roots level and taking the time to understand the differences and similarities between cultures is a key component of the path towards international peace."
With respect to living in the UK, Andrew commented "...A very positive experience. Since the end of World War II, the face of Britain has changed dramatically. British fare no longer mainly consists of fish and chips and roast beef. Chicken Tikka Masala is now as common as Yorkshire Puddings. Britain is truly a cosmopolitan country, and the influence of immigrants to Britain is felt everywhere - food, music, television, clothing, etc. This reflects the change that has been taking place in Britain over the years."
Regarding the opportunity to work as Executive Assistant to the Regional Chairman, Andrew states "My job straddles a fine line between being a member of staff and a political operative. I am the only member of Regional staff whose employment at the Region is contingent upon the electoral success of the Chairman. Working in the office of the Chairman allows me to get a first-hand look at the services provided by the Region to the citizens of Niagara. I would be among the first to admit that the Region does not do a good enough job of communicating with the public about its responsiblities and the services it provides. Each one of us at some point during the day is touched by services provided by Niagara region be it the water we use to shower in the morning, the green box we use to dispose of our dinner scraps, or the public health inspectors that monitor the quality of food we eat at restaurants or purchase at a grocery store. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of my job is assisting the Chairman in advocating to senior levels of government on behalf of Niagara as he did during his Niagara Week missions to Toronto and Ottawa...I believe the success of those missions can be attributed to the focused message that was delivered by Chairman Partington and our other Niagara representatives - the need for the Provincial Places to Grow Plan to take into account the Region's Policy Plan; the need to strengthen and further develop transportation infrastructure in Niagara; and the need to provide support to those communities whose urban boundaries are now frozen by the Greenbelt."
As to what Andrew sees ahead for Niagara in 2006: "We will repeat our missions to Toronto and Ottawa in order to build upon and enhance the relationships that have been developed. The Chairman will continue to champion the need to develop the Niagara-GTA corridor, the need to continue the expansion of the 406 south into Port Colborne, and the need to establish a new Regional Route connecting what will hopefully be a new section of the 406 with the QEW in the area of the Peace Bridge...There are, indeed, some very exciting times ahead of us here in Niagara."
Rob Welch thanked Andrew and noted that "the future of the region of Niagara is far brighter having Andrew there and the future of our club is far brighter having Andrew here."
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