Bowsher is Ohio Dispatcher of the Year

VW independent staff/submitted information

The Ohio State Highway Patrol announced the recipients of the 2024 Leadership Awards on Friday, and a patrol employee stationed as the Van Wert Post was among them. A ceremony was held in Columbus to recognize dozens of state and district award winners for their contributions to Ohio and its communities.

Dispatcher Patrick P. Bowsher, Van Wert Post, earned statewide honors as the 2024 Dispatcher of the Year after being selected from 10 District Dispatcher of the Year recipients. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, he maintains an exemplary work ethic, encourages and mentors others, and provides direction and support.

Dispatcher Bowsher is an active member of the Members Assistance Team and serves as a field training dispatcher and is devoted to strengthening and maintaining a strong relationship between retired and active members of the Patrol.

In the community, he serves in multiple roles at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Edgerton, including as a Eucharist Minister and a Fourth Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus. Dispatcher Bowsher is also active in the Edgerton Local School District, serving as coach for the middle and high school basketball teams, high school football team and as an announcer at athletic events.

Dispatcher Bowsher joined the Patrol in 1997 as a dispatcher assigned to the Van Wert Post. He has served at the Van Wert Post and Van Wert Dispatch Center throughout his career.

He was previously named as both District and Post Dispatcher of the Year. He also received an Ohio Double Gold Star Telecommunication Award for his extraordinary level of performance from the Ohio Chapters of the National Emergency Number Association and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International.