Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles

Jennifer Bowles was elected to Martinsville City Council on November 4, 2014 and began her first four year term on January 5, 2015 as a newly-elected Council member and Vice-Mayor, and is the youngest ever elected to City Council and the first African American woman to serve in a leadership position as the Vice Mayor. 

Bowles is a graduate of Martinsville High School with an advanced studies diploma and a graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in African American Studies.  While at UVa, Bowles worked to pay for her studies in addition to playing on the UVa Softball Team. She was on the Athletic Honor Roll and volunteered at Venable Elementary School.  Upon graduation from UVa, Bowles served as an intern at Piedmont Community Services and worked in the International Sales and Customer Service Department at Hooker Furniture. She formally served as the executive director of New Heights Foundation and formally served as an Administrator/Programs Director at New Heights Community Support. In the summer of 2015, Bowles graduated from UVa’s Sorensen Institute’s Emerging Leaders Program and in 2016 from UVa’s Sorensen’s Political Leaders Program. Bowles is member of Reach Out Apostolic Tabernacle. Bowles is currently enrolled at Averett University to obtain her Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. Bowles is passionate about family and always acknowledges her mother and father, Michael and the late Janice Bowles, and grandparents are Albert and the late Annie Pettie and the late Nancy and David Bowles. 

A servant leader for Martinsville, Bowles is involved in various activities:

Fayette Area Historical Initiative Advisory Board Member

Former YMCA Board Member

Former Reach and Rise Mentor

Martinsville/Henry County SPCA Board Member

Piedmont Arts member

Former Member of Martinsville Rotary Club

West Piedmont Planning District Commissioner

Virginia Municipal League, Education and Human Development Committee

Virginia First Cities, Martinsville representative

Former Virginia Museum of Natural History Foundation board member

Salvation Army Board member

Former Gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Resources Authority

Governor Ralph Northam's Transition Committee 

Former Gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Complete Count Commission

In her spare time, Bowles enjoys reading, spending time with family, playing with her goddaughters, nephews, and niece, and playing with her dogs King and Wiggles. 

Contact Information
1670 Roundabout Road, Martinsville, VA  24112
Telephone: 276-224-7738
E-mail: jbowles@ci.martinsville.va.us