About Larry A. Bowers, Interim Superintendent of MCPS
Larry A. Bowers has been serving as interim superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) since February 2015 and will serve in the position until June 30, 2016. Mr. Bowers has worked for MCPS for 37 years and has served in a variety of leadership positions for the past two decades.
For the past 16 years, Mr. Bowers has served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for MCPS, overseeing the strategic planning, financial, operational, and support functions of the district. Under his leadership, MCPS has gained a national reputation for outstanding operational effectiveness, educational excellence, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Mr. Bowers led the district’s efforts to align its business and educational practices with the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence. In 2010, MCPS became the largest school district to ever win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest honor an organization can receive for performance excellence.
Mr. Bowers has also fostered a strong relationship with the district’s three employee associations, leading to collaboration and partnership in the development of the operating budget, the system’s priorities and the district’s nationally recognized professional growth system. Prior to becoming COO in 1999, Mr. Bowers served MCPS as Chief Financial Officer (1993-1999), Director of the Department of Management, Budget, and Planning (1988-1993), Assistant to the Deputy Superintendent (1983-1988), and Staff Assistant to the Board of Education (1978-1983).
Mr. Bowers graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and received a Master’s Degree in Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech.