“We love the people here. I am always meeting people I have never met before who are genuine and care for others around them.”
– Patrick Cowan
This area means a lot to Patrick Cowan. A Great Bend native who spent much of his childhood in eastern Kansas said he has roots here and felt the need to return.
Now, as he and his wife Karisa are expecting their first child come January, they are content making Great Bend their home. “This is a community of caring individuals looking to improve their surroundings and the lives of others,” he said.
Cowan is currently the information technology operations manager at AdamsBrown LLC. CPA Firm. “I lead, maintain, and support the day-to-day operations and staff of the IT department,” he said, adding he’s been with Adams Brown since 2014 and has been working in IT since 2010.
Returning home
“I was born in Great Bend Kansas but spent most of my childhood in the Overland Park area,” he said. “I moved to Hoisington during my Junior year of high school where I met my now-wife and we decided to make Barton County our home.”
Cowan attended the Blue Valley school district through his sophomore year of high school before moving to Hoisington and graduating from Hoisington High School. He went on to earn an associate’s degree in computer systems networking from Barton Community College an a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Fort Hays State University.
“My extended family (Grandma, aunts, and cousins) have lived in Barton County most of my life so I spent many holidays in Great Bend throughout my childhood,” he said. “When my mom was looking for a job during the 2008 financial crisis, family here was able to help her find one. We moved here, I started dating a wonderful woman who I know call my wife, and we decided that Barton County was where we wanted to raise our family.”
Getting involved
Cowan has truly made this his home, taking the idea of giving back to it to heart. His involvement includes:
• United Way of Central Kansas – vice president of the board, VP since 2022, involved since 2018.
• Great bend Chamber of Commerce – chamber ambassador since 2021.
• Barton Community College – Technology Advisory Board member since 2017.
• Great Bend Alive – member of Preservation and Development committees, joining these this year.
His family also attends mas at Prince of Peace Parish.
Outside of work, “I enjoy being outside when I can since my job is typically indoors at a desk,” Cowen said. “I play golf and pickleball. I enjoy going to the gym a few times a week. I have been getting into some light mountain biking as well.”
In addint, “my wife and I love to travel. We enjoy going to new cities, trying new foods, and seeing new shows or entertainment.”
Drawn back
Even with these experiences, they return here.
“We love the people here. I am always meeting people I have never met before who are genuine and care for others around them,” Cowan said. “There are a lot of great things happening in Great Bend and Barton County that make us very excited about starting a family here.”
Among these are the resurgence of volunteer programs like Damn it Do it Day and the Barton Arts Movement. And, there is the the City of Great Bend and the Great Bend Recreation Commission working together to renovate and add new things to our parks, and Fridays on Forest and other GB Alive projects.
Community Connections is a regular feature of the Great Bend Tribune, showcasing people who live in the Golden Belt. We welcome readers to submit names of individuals who are active in the community that they would like to see featured in a future story. Send suggestions to news@gbtribune.com and explain their “community connections.”