Darren Bowden loves the great outdoors — and everything that comes with it.

Bowden, vice president of Bowden Electric, a Chickasaw-based electrical company, oversees a 30-person crew on light industrial, commercial and residential jobs. He has worked for the third generation family-owned company for about 25 years.

A graduate of Baker High School in Mobile, he attended Southwest Technical College in Mobile for three years and graduated with a degree in industrical electricity. He then went on to earn master’s licenses in Mobile, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. A master’s license is required to own a business and do electrical work in those states, he said.

Although Bowden works in Chickasaw, he doesn’t mind the daily commute from Spanish Fort.

“I get up every morning and it’s a pleasant drive watching the sun come up in my rearview mirror – and watching it go down in my rearview mirror when I go home,” he said.

Before moving to Spanish Fort four years ago, Bowden looked around Baldwin County for about six months before deciding to build a home in Spanish Fort.

Bowden looked into Eastern Shore schools for his children – Kaleb, 16, and Savannah, 13 – and liked what he saw. He said things on the Eastern Shore were a bit more pricey than Mobile, but he knew that’s where he wanted to be.

“It was a little more off the beaten path,” he said. “It’s a lot less crowded in Spanish Fort.’”

“The best thing about it is the small-town living with the convenience of the city.”

When he is not tending to the duties of the electrical company, Bowden enjoys spending time outdoors, skiing and taking boat rides.

“Getting out in the woods and seeing things in their natural habitat is what I enjoy.”

He got his love for the outdoors from his grandfather. He would take him hunting when was 8 years old — a hobby that Bowden still enjoys.

Bowden is a member of the Conecuh Country Club in Lenox, Ala., where he likes to hunt deer. He doesn’t have to go far to see wildlife, he simply has to take a step into his backyard where he sees deer, rabbits and coyotes. “You’re watching the animals and they don’t even know you’re there,” he said.

“Spanish Fort is close to everything I like to do,” he said. “I can drive an hour to the beach and spend the day or I can drive an hour to my camp.”

“I love that I can be close to the two things that are my passion.”

Bowden is the oldest of four siblings: Kristy, Shane and Jessica. His mom, Kathy, and dad, Paul, live in Stockton.

Do you know a Spanish Fort resident whom the Spanish Fort Sun should profile? Call 626-7220, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or e-mail sun@gulfcoastnewspapers.com.