Mrs. Sarian Bouma born in Freetown Sierra Leone, is an award winning entrepreneur and consultant on small business startups and international trade policies.
Prior to retirement, she served as Commissioner of African Affairs for the state of Maryland for 8 years.
In addition she had served on various commissions for Maryland State since 1995
She was the founder and CEO of Capitol Hill Building Maintenance, Inc., a multi-million dollar award winning firm in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan region.
As a fellow at The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, Mrs. Bouma delivered a series of lectures on “Exploring Untapped Markets: Global Entrepreneurship & Politics”.
During her tenure with The Brookings Institution, Mrs. Bouma served at the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health and worked directly under the chairmanship of the late Hon. Congressman Donald Payne.
For over fifteen years, she served as an advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Advisory Committee, and as a Region III advisor to The U.S. Small Business Administration Council.
Thru her 25 plus years in direct management experience in Finance and business development and international trade policies, she has demonstrated strong leadership in promote economic development locally and internationally.
Mrs. Bouma graduated cum laude graduate from Sojourner Douglass College with a degree in Business Management, and completed advanced executive programs at Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government and Tuck Business School at Dartmouth University.
Ms Bouma serves on several major corporate boards as well as non-profit boards.
Her life is the embodiment of hard work, integrity, courage and resilience.
With her passion to give back to her community and empower young generation, she is sought after motivational speaker and also authored a book titles “Welfare to Millionaire/Heart of a Winner”, and forwarded by Senator Robert Dole and Maryland Governor Parris Glendenning (1994-2003)
On November 18, 2017 Ms. Bouma made her first commitment as a Providence Associates at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, in Indiana.
In her words at the commitment ceremony:
“Starting this day, I now look forward to this new journey in my life”.
The Associates are an extension of Sisters of Providence. They are the Providence of God for us.
Associates share a special role as partners with the Sisters of Providence, in the mission and charism of Providence.
Mrs. Bouma is married to her life long soul mate Mr.John Bouma for the past 37 years. Together they raised six children, and now empty nesters.
FYI:
Accomplished Entrepreneur, Government Advisor, Community Leader and Public Speaker with proven exceptional ability to motivate people of diverse interests and backgrounds.