---
title: SR 229. Bowen, Rudy; recognize
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr229
cite_as: SR 229, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr229
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr229.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr229/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70592
date: 2025-02-21
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr228.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr230.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 94
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr229.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 229
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2025-02-21
last_action: Senate Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Brandon Beach
  - Steve Gooch
  - Greg Dolezal
  - John Kennedy
  - Clint Dixon
  - Shawn Still
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR229/2025
upstream_id: 1978192
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - ceremonial resolution
  - Georgia Department of Transportation
  - Gwinnett County
  - legislative honors
---

# SR 229. Bowen, Rudy; recognize

## Text

Senate Resolution 229
By: Senators Beach of the 21st, Gooch of the 51st, Dolezal of the 27th, Kennedy of the 18th,
Dixon of the 45th and others
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing and commending Rudy Bowen for his service on the Georgia Department of
Transportation Board; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Rudy Bowen has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to service, leadership,
and community development, earning him the distinguished honor of being named the 2024
Gwinnett Citizen of the Year by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, a native of Atlanta, he and his wife, Jean Kirby, purchased their first home in
Gwinnett County in 1964; and
WHEREAS, a former lumber salesman, he founded Bowen Family Homes in 1969, and over
the next five years, he constructed an average of 50 homes a year, earning his reputation as
a builder of high-quality mid-range houses; and
WHEREAS, his contributions to the county extend beyond homebuilding and include service
on boards such as the Lake Lanier Recreational Authority, the Gwinnett Airport Authority,
the Gwinnett Board of Appeals, and the Johns Creek Hospital Board in addition to his role
as a deacon at Johns Creek Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, in 2007, he was elected to the Georgia Department of Transportation Board,
where he provided steady leadership through unprecedented times, ensuring that critical
roadwork and maintenance projects remained on or ahead of schedule, and twice served as
chairman during his 19-year-long tenure; and
WHEREAS, his dedication to both his family and his business has fostered a
multigenerational legacy, with his son, David, and sons-in-law, Mike Phelps and Tip Cape,
carrying on his homebuilding tradition, followed by his grandchildren who have also joined
the company; and
WHEREAS, Bowen Family Homes continues to construct entire communities and provide
customers with a total home buying experience to this day; and
WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable individual be
appropriately honored for his enduring contributions to Gwinnett County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body
recognize and commend Rudy Bowen for his service on the Georgia Department of
Transportation Board as well as extend best wishes for future health and happiness.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Rudy Bowen.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia Senate resolution honors Rudy Bowen for his 19 years of service on the Georgia Department of Transportation Board and his contributions to Gwinnett County.

### Plain-language summary

This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Rudy Bowen, a Gwinnett County homebuilder who founded Bowen Family Homes in 1969 and served on the Georgia Department of Transportation Board starting in 2007, including two terms as chairman over his 19-year tenure.
The resolution recounts his career and community service, including work on the Lake Lanier Recreational Authority, the Gwinnett Airport Authority, the Gwinnett Board of Appeals, and the Johns Creek Hospital Board. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Bowen as a keepsake honoring his service and wishing him future health and happiness.

### What it does

- Formally recognizes and commends Rudy Bowen for his 19 years of service on the Georgia Department of Transportation Board.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute an official copy of the resolution to Rudy Bowen.
- Extends the Senate's best wishes to Bowen for future health and happiness.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a ceremonial statement of the Senate's position.

### Who it affects

The resolution directly names and honors Rudy Bowen, a Gwinnett County homebuilder and former Georgia Department of Transportation Board member. It has no regulatory or financial effect on the broader public, agencies, or businesses.

### Why it matters

This resolution has no practical effect on Georgia law, funding, or residents' daily lives. It serves as a public, official record of the Senate's appreciation for one individual's decades of civic and business contributions in Gwinnett County.

### Key provisions

- The resolved clause states the Senate recognizes and commends Rudy Bowen for his Georgia Department of Transportation Board service and wishes him future health and happiness.
- A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to Bowen.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2025-02-21)
- Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-21)
- Sponsors: Brandon Beach, Steve Gooch, Greg Dolezal, John Kennedy, Clint Dixon, Shawn Still
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70592

> The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr229.md?full=1