David Bowdich
17th Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
In office
January 29, 2018 – February 1, 2021
Acting: January 29, 2018 – April 13, 2018
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
DirectorChristopher A. Wray
Preceded byAndrew McCabe
Succeeded byPaul Abbate
Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
In office
April 9, 2016 – April 13, 2018
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
DirectorJames Comey
Christopher A. Wray
Preceded byAndrew McCabe
Succeeded byPaul Abbate
Personal details
EducationNew Mexico State University (BS)
Georgetown University (MA)

David Bowdich is an American executive and former law enforcement officer serving as the Chief Security Officer of The Walt Disney Company. Prior to this, he served as the Deputy Director of the FBI.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Bowdich was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[4] His father, Joe Bowdich, served with the Albuquerque Police Department for 30 years and was the sheriff of Bernalillo County for seven years.[4] Bowdich's grandfather was a deputy chief for the Albuquerque Fire Department.[4]

Bowdich attended high school at Temple Baptist Academy, graduating in 1987.[5]

Bowdich earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from New Mexico State University in 1991.[2][6] He later received a master's degree in leadership from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.[7]

Career

Bowdich was a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department from 1991 to 1995, where he patrolled the Southeast and North Valley area commands and served as a detective in the North Valley.[4]

Bowdich joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1995 in San Diego, California field office, where he served as a SWAT team member and investigated violent crimes and gangs.[6] Bowdich managed an investigation that resulted in convictions against street gang members in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.[6]

Bowdich received a promotion to the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2003, serving in the Safe Streets and Gang Unit.[6] After two years at headquarters, Bowdich transferred to supervising a multi-agency gang task force in San Diego.[6] Bowdich managed agents investigating drug cases and racketeering cases against the Mexican Mafia, Bloods, Crips, and Hells Angels.[6]

In 2009, Bowdich became in charge of the field office in San Diego. Bowdich noticed that there was a trend of kidnapping committed by Mexican cartel-related criminal enterprises, so he initiated an interagency squad that built a large-scale criminal case against 43 members and associates of the cartel who were kidnapping individuals in and around San Diego.[6] Bowdich also supervised the investigations into the murders of two United States Border Patrol agents.[6]

Bowdich reads the names of fallen officers during the 30th annual candlelight vigil that was held on May 13, 2018 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. during National Police Week.

By 2011, Bowdich was the Federal Bureau of Investigation supervisor in San Diego, managing 100 agents and officers around Mexico–United States border.[8]

In 2012, Bowdich was promoted to special agent in charge of the Counterterrorism Division at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Los Angeles and overseas investigations in Southeast Asia.[6][9] That year, he oversaw an investigation and arrest of four individuals involved in a terrorism plot.[10] The four individuals were arrested and charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists in preparation for or in carrying out acts of terrorism.[11] In 2013, Bowdich was part of a team of people from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that traveled to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to meet with Bangladeshi Minister of Home Affairs Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir and to Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandaker to discuss the proliferation of militancy and how to increase law enforcement officers' effectiveness through training.[12]

In 2014, Bowdich was promoted to Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC) of the Los Angeles office.[9] He was responsible for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's response to the San Bernardino attack in 2015.[13][14][15]

After Andrew McCabe went on leave on January 29, 2018, prior to his dismissal from the FBI, Bowdich, as Associate Deputy Director, assumed his position.[16]

Bowdich was formally appointed Deputy Director on April 13, 2018, by Director Christopher A. Wray.[1] Bowdich fired Agent Peter Strzok on August 10, 2018.[17] He served as Deputy Director until 2021.

In 2022, he became the Chief Security Officer of The Walt Disney Company.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "David Bowdich Named Deputy Director of the FBI". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "The rise of David Bowdich, the former sniper in line to become the FBI's new deputy director". The Washington Post. January 29, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  3. ^ "Andrew McCabe's FBI replacement, David Bowdich, might be a Trump-Russia probe witness". Newsweek. January 29, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d Boetel, Ryan (January 4, 2015). "From APD cop to a top FBI post – After nearly 20 years with the bureau, ABQ native David Bowdich to lead LA’s field office". Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, New Mexico). p. A1.
  5. ^ Pae, Christine (January 31, 2018). "FBI to name Albuquerque native as new deputy director". KOAT. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "David Bowdich Named Special Agent in Charge of FBI Los Angeles Counterterrorism Division". Government Press Releases. September 14, 2012.
  7. ^ "David Bowdich Named Assistant Director in Charge of FBI Los Angeles — FBI". www.fbi.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  8. ^ Miroff, Nick (February 28, 2011). "U.S. Firms Working Abductions in Mexico". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A4.
  9. ^ a b "David Bowdich Named Assistant Director in Charge of FBI Los Angeles" US Fed News. December 24, 2014.
  10. ^ "FBI conference to discuss local men suspected in terrorism plot". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, California). November 20, 2012.
  11. ^ Fowler, Lori (November 20, 2012). "FBI: 'Don't underestimate these groups'". The Sun (San Bernardino, California).
  12. ^ "Bangladesh minister apprises US team of government steps to combat militancy". The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh). January 30, 2013.
  13. ^ "Even As Details Emerge In San Bernardino Shooting, Motive Remains Murky". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. December 3, 2015.
  14. ^ Valenzuela, Beatriz E. (December 5, 2015). "Chiefs vow to keep communities safe". Daily Breeze (Torrance, California). p. 8.
  15. ^ "FBI says shooters were radicalized". Daily Post (Palo Alto, California). December 8, 2015.
  16. ^ "FBI Leadership & Structure". Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  17. ^ "The F.B.I. Needs to Explain Its Reasons for Firing Peter Strzok". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "David L. Bowdich Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer, The Walt Disney Company" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.

External links

Government offices Preceded byAndrew McCabe Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 2018–2021 Succeeded byPaul Abbate
Deputy Directors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
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