The Return of Gary Cowen

Florida native Gary Cowen loves Jasper so much that he moved here—twice. Now in his 20th year as a city councilman, he is excited about the future he sees ahead for his adopted town.

Words by Terrell Manasco | Images by Blakeney Clouse 

Gary Cowen leans back slightly in a wooden chair in the Jasper City Council meeting room and crosses one leg over the other. When asked what prompted him to run for District 3 City Councilman 20 years ago, his reply is simple. 

“I love Jasper,” he says with conviction. “People say, ‘Well gee, but you’re not from Jasper,’ and I say, ‘Yeah, but I moved here twice on purpose.’”

Born in 1953, Gary grew up primarily in the small town of Marianna, Florida. His father owned a small manufacturing company there and Gary often worked in various areas of the business throughout his teen years. 

After high school, Gary enrolled at Auburn University to become a physician. During his junior year, the college decided to no longer offer a Pre-Med degree, so he earned his degree in chemistry. “They said, ‘We are not counting Pre-Med anymore,’ so I needed two more chemistry classes to have a chemistry major. I could barely tell you what water was,” Gary laughs. 

Gary graduated from UAB Medical School in 1979 and later completed his OB-GYN residency at Carraway Hospital in 1984. He planned to set up practice inPanama City or Birmingham until fellow medical school graduates Larry Baker, Ed Whittington, Casey Vague, Jerry Mosley, and Steve Johnson suggested he consider Jasper. “I drove up to Jasper and thought, man, this is a fantastic place!” he says. “We loved Jasper the minute we moved here.”

Gary soon teamed with Dr. Roy Sims and Dr. Ed Whittington, forming a triad of OB-GYN physicians in Jasper. In his third year of practice, he got a call from his dad. “My father said, ‘I have a crazy idea. Would you come back and run the company?’” Gary recalls. “He was getting older and ready to retire, and I had done everything in his company when I was growing up. I was an awful welder, but I could drive a forklift, do plumbing, and work a shear, so I kind of knew the business.” 

In 1987, Gary left medicine and moved back home to help his father. The decision to leave was not without its bittersweet moments. “When we left Jasper, my wife, Julie, said, ‘Of course I’ll go with you to Marianna or anywhere, but you’re taking me away from my dream town,’” he says. 

Back in Marianna, the business grew and became very successful. When a larger company acquired the business in 1996, the Cowens were free to move anywhere they wanted. This time, the choice was easy. “We said, ‘Lets’ go back to Jasper,” Gary recalls. “Great folks. Close to a big city. Love the people. Love the climate. Love the town.”

So for the second time in his life, Gary and Julie packed up and moved to Jasper. His unabashed love for this town became the catalyst for his city council bid in 2000. “I was complaining about different areas of the city to a friend and he said, ‘Why don’t you run for city council?’” Gary recalls. 

When Gary replied that he wasn’t interested, his friend made another suggestion. 

“He said, ‘Well, if you’re not willing to try to make a change… just shut up, because all you’re doing is complaining.’ That kind of hit me square between the eyes,” Gary laughs. 

Now in his 20thyear as District 3 City Councilman, Gary is optimistic about the road ahead. While he admits in the past “everybody was rowing in different directions,” that is no longer the case. “I am very proud of what is going on,” he says. “New high school. Downtown is nice. We’ve got some major industrial recruitment going on. Now you’ve got more of a team effort where everybody is looking at ‘a rising tide raises all boats.’ I’m just proud to be a small part of it.” 

Gary also serves on several local boards, including Jasper Family Resource Center and First United Methodist Church. A few years ago, he was asked to serve on the board of Daybreak Spouse Abuse Shelter. “Jan Hulsey, who headed up Daybreak forever and ever, and Connie Rowe got me involved,” Gary says. “I was ignorant on the extent and the type of domestic violence there is. It happens across all spectrums, but you see it a lot with people having economic troubles, especially during hard times. Tempers flare and it comes out. The executive directors do a very good job of letting women know they can get away from that and finding resources for them.” 

Jasper has witnessed its share of calamity over the years. The town has survived a Great Depression, recessions, tornadoes, fires, and sluggish economies, and each time it has girded itself, brushed away the debris, and risen from the ashes. Perhaps that is another reason Gary Cowen has served for two decades on the city council. 

“Gosh, I love Jasper,” he says with unmistakable ardor. “When you used to come down on a Friday night, there were empty parking places all over. Now one of the main complaints I get is ‘we can’t find parking downtown,’ which is a great thing. I think Jasper’s a fantastic place and I am honored to have represented the people of District 3 and be a small part of seeing it improve.”

Spoken like a man who’s moved here twice—on purpose. 78