Title
Proclamation Declaring April 4, 2017 as Ron Cowan Day. (City Manager 2110)
Body
Proclamation
Whereas, Ron Cowan, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, born in 1934, moved to Alameda in grade school. In 1959, he began his long career as a visionary and entrepreneur when he opened Tweed’s Menswear at South Shore Center in Alameda; and
Whereas, in 1963, Ron Cowan formed Doric Properties, the development corporation that built Harbor Bay Isle, a 1,000 acre development that includes over 6,000 homes and 2 million square feet of commercial space. Doric won 17 local, state and national awards for excellence in connection with the Harbor Bay Isle development; and
Whereas, in 1985, Mr. Cowan founded the Harbor Bay Maritime, Inc. for the purpose of providing high-speed ferry service between the Harbor Bay Business Park and San Francisco; and
Whereas, Ron Cowan was a pioneer in understanding the need for a world-class comprehensive regional water transit system to serve transit needs, including after natural disasters; and
Whereas, his vision ultimately led to the creation of the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), an invaluable asset to Alameda and the San Francisco Bay Area that serves over 2 million passengers annually; and
Whereas, Ron Cowan served on the California World Trade Commission in Governor Jerry Brown’s Administration, and as Chair of the Bay Area Water Transit Task Force, developing relationships with political figures such as Willie Brown, Bill Lockyer, Sunnie McPeak, Don Perata, and Governor Jerry Brown; and
Whereas, Ron Cowan created several other enterprises including the Harbor Bay Club, Harbor Bay Realty, Harbor Bay Storage and was the owner of KJAZ Radio, which produced the first San Francisco Jazz Festival in 1981 and sponsored many more jazz festivals; and
Whereas, he served as Director of the Boys Club of Alameda and the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, a Board Member of the Alameda Hospital Foundation, and a founding Director of the World Teleport Association; and
Whereas, in recognition of Ron Cowan’s contributions to Alameda and the region, the Ron Cowan Parkway in Oakland and WETA’s Ron Cowan Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility at Alameda Point (currently under construction) were named in his honor; and
Whereas, Ron Cowan passed at his Marin County home on Jan. 11, 2017 at the age of 82.
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that I, Trish Herrera Spencer, Mayor of the City of Alameda, do hereby proclaim April 4, 2017 as
Ron Cowan Day
in the City of Alameda and hope that Alamedans will remember the contributions he brought to our community.
Trish Herrera Spencer
Mayor