Christopher D. Bowers :::
Christopher D. Bowers
Graduated in 1965
Inducted in 2005
A native of the LaGrange area and 1965 graduate of Lyons Township High School, Chris Bowers
is Senior Vice President - Customer Strategy, Sales and Marketing at NES Rentals, a national heavy
equipment rental company. Previously, Bowers served as Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago
Convention and Tourism Bureau, where he had the task of selling Chicago as the premier location for
meetings, conventions, trade shows and vacations. However, the bulk of his professional career, 30
years, was spent at United Airlines. He started as an Air Freight Supervisor at Chicago’s O’H are
International Airport, moving up the ranks and ultimately holding positions of Senior Vice
President – International, Senior Vice President – North America, Senior Vice President – Marketing
and Sales and Senior Vice President – Sales and Reservations. Bowers has served on a variety of
industry and service committees, including Chairman of the Board for the Travel Industry
Association of America, member of the Board of Trustees for the Institute of Certified Travel
Agents, member of the Board of Directors for Orbitz LLC, and was honored as one of the Business
Travel Industry’s 25 Most Influential Executives by Business Travel News in 1993. Bowers also
serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, a trustee for
the Field Museum, and guest lecturer on Advanced Transportation Management for Northwestern
University. Bowers graduated in 1969 with a B.A. in Business Administration from Monmouth College
and served in the U. S. Army as a Captain in the Adjutant General Corp. from 1969-1972.