“I am unafraid to be judged on my character. I associate with the thoughts of James D Miles who declared, You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
Sherfield P. Bowen first came to public life in the 1990s, driven by a desire to change the dynamics of the body politic, and dared to propose leadership that would rest on the firm pillars of good governance, accountability and transparency, the principles on which he would challenge the Antigua Labour Party Administration, in the early years of this century, and expose its failings in all three.
Although Bowen left active politics almost 20 years ago, he never abandoned his calling to service: to empower the ordinary man and woman; to positively impact lives; and to foster an enlightened democracy.
A community-minded individual to the core, Bowen brings impeccable and unassailable credentials, experience and competencies to the people of St. Phillip’s South.
His academic foundation was laid at the historic Bethesda Primary School and then he went on to the Pares Secondary School. Bowen left Antigua to further his education at the City University of New York, Lehman College, earning a BSc. in Accounting (cum laude) in 1989.
Other professional credentials followed in 1990, as he distinguished himself as a Chartered Financial Consultant [ChFC] and a Chartered Life Underwriter [CLU] through the American College in Pennsylvania, and became a Certified Financial Planner [CFP] through the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado.
After credentialing as a finance professional, Bowen attended the prestigious Howard University School of Law, in Washington, D.C., graduating in 1994 with a Juris Doctor degree, cum laude. That same year, he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with the Maryland State Board of Accountancy and, at the same time, qualified as a Lawyer in New York State.
Over his career he has been employed in Finance, first at the Antigua Commercial Bank (Accountant); Prudential Insurance Company, Bronx, NY (Registered Representative); and the New York Advisory Group, Tarrytown, NY (Certified Financial Planner).
He later established the successful accounting firm of SPB Tax and Accounting Services in New York, where his clientele included not only Antiguans and Barbudans and other CARICOM nationals in the diaspora, but Chinese and Middle Eastern business owners and Hinterland Africans in that diaspora.
Bowen returned to Antigua in 1996 and served as a Tax Consultant to the Government between 1997-1999. In 1999, he was elected to Parliament as the Member for St Phillip’s South.
He served the communities of St. Phillip’s South effectively and competently from 1999 to 2004, holding the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. His commitment to the people of this constituency has never wavered.
Still residing in his community, and currently the Senior Attorney at Bowen and Bowen Law Firm, Mr. Bowen still regards himself as the boy from Bethesda, taking on the odds and conquering them all.
For such a time as this, “Sherfield – the Real Deal!” is standing up to serve with the United Progressive Party, which he describes as not only the best hope, but the only hope for Antigua & Barbuda.
