Kitty Bowman, the long-time director of RevereCARES who impacted so many residents’ lives in a positive way – and who truly went above and beyond in her position, retired last week.
The announcement ends a very productive record of accomplishments by Bowman, who became one of the most respected and admired leaders in this city.
Kitty became the director of RevereCARES in 1997 and her impact on the lives of Revere parents and children was immediate and immense. The organization’s original mission was to address alcohol and drug use among youths in Revere, but after successes in that effort, her organization’s outreach expanded to address additional needs in the community.
It was during her reign that the Power of Know Club was founded, encouraging parents to know at all times where their children were and what they were doing. Kitty also spearheaded the anti-tobacco campaign in restaurants and created numerous indoor and outdoor programs such as sea kayaking to provide positive, uplifting, and safe activities for our young people.
What we always admired about Kitty was that she deflected credit to others even though it was clear that it was her contribution to the betterment of Revere.
She worked so well and developed such a professional collaboration with our public safety and public health officials. Kitty flourished in her role while working on city issues with three different mayors, Bob Haas, Tom Ambrosino, and Dan Rizzo, who has been a big supporter of RevereCARES dating back to his days as city councillor.
She held coffee hours in backyards across the city to create awareness about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Kitty took her important message directly to the people of Revere who appreciated her candor, her knowledge, and her encouragment.
Kitty was so efficient in securing grants for RevereCARES programs, always seeking to expand the offerings for our residents.
Bowman did not rest on her laurels as director of RevereCARES. She was always employing the latest trends in educating young people about leading a healthy lifestyle. She received a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Harvard.
Kitty Bowman made our city a better place. We appreciate her years of dedicated service to our city.
People like Kitty Bowman continue to make Revere a better place to live.
