2017 Distinguished Alumni Honoree
Donald Roy Dowell, ‘66, ‘68
Donald Roy Dowell graduated from OMA High School in 1966 and Junior College in 1968. While at OMA, he received a rank of Cadet Captain and Company Commander of “A” Company. He was a member of the Saber Society, Chevron Society, Honor Court, Judges Bench, Color Guard and was a Cheerleader.
After OMA, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in accounting, economics and marketing in 1973. During this time, he served as president of the accounting and marketing clubs where he received the Floyd Lamar Vaughn Outstanding Marketing Student.
During his career, he has been active in commercial real estate in Dallas for the past 35 years earning the Dallas Business Journal’s “2007 Deal of the Year” for the relocation of Comerica Bank Headquarters from Detroit to Dallas. He also has been recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as a Real Estate “Heavy Hitter” several times in his career. Dowell has been active in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), the oldest and largest industry organization. He was BOMA Chairman of the International Brokerage and Leasing Committee; Past President of BOMA Dallas, BOMA Texas, and the BOMA Southwest Region; and BOMA Outstanding Member of the Year for Southwest Region and Dallas. He was also BOMA Chairman of the Dallas Education Institute and member of the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors (NTCAR).
Among his many civic activities, Dowell served as a board member of Downtown Dallas, a board member of Main Street Garden Park Foundation, and chairman of the Dare to Dream Children Foundation.
Dowell has lived in Dallas since 1980 with his wife of 34 years, Marilyn. They have two children – Erin, who works for Marriott as the events planner, and Paul, who just received a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas.
Dowell credits his OMA experience with developing his leadership and organizational skills, but most importantly for creating many lifetime friends.