Tisa Bowden
“The great thing about Tri Kappa,” says Tisa Bowden, “is that there are a lot of women you can connect with.” Tisa grew up in Bedford, raised by her Taiwanese “tiger-dad” father, Michael Chen. After her graduation from Bedford North Lawrence in 1990, she commuted to Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, graduating with a degree in marketing -- and no college debt. Tisa and her first husband married after college and went into the mortgage-lending business. They had three children, Lizzie, Gabbie and Noah.
She has been married to her present husband, professional golfer Craig Bowden, since 2012. Through Craig, she inherited her stepchildren, Quinley and Kirin. Tisa and her family moved from Bedford to Bloomington in 2012. She is the assistant director for business for the Indiana Geological and Water Survey. She’s also working on her master’s degree through the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Alayna Gray talked to Tisa for several years about joining Tri Kappa, but the 10-year commitment gave her pause. “Alayna kept telling me Tri Kappa would be such a good fit for me,” Tisa says. “I don’t have a lot of time, so I don’t spend as much time doing social things. I finally said, ‘yes,’ because I needed something fun just for me.”
The 2018 decision turned out to be a good one, as she has enjoyed her years in the sorority so much that she asked her bestie, Kim Strychalski, to join the sisterhood in 2020. “I really look forward to seeing Kim at the meetings,” Tisa says with a smile. Tisa is a self-proclaimed choco-holic, so she loves the sweet treats provided by her sisters for dessert each month. She also likes taking part in Tri Kappa’s holiday cookie exchange. “Tri Kappa is just a lot of fun,” Tisa says. “I’m glad I joined.”
More about Tisa
Doesn’t have social media
Is biracial
Adores her grandchildren, Ava and Harvey
Attends Cornerstone Christian Fellowship
Laughs about being a “golfer’s widow”