I was born in Milwaukee, raised in South Carolina, educated in North Carolina and Georgia.  Fortunate to have drawn a good Viet Nam draft number, I graduated from  Duke University (BSE) and Georgia Tech (MSEE) with engineering degrees.

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I'd like to think of my career, both professional and entrepreneurial, as being creative, focusing on doing things that are unique, never done before .  Professionally, it has spanned over four decades, working with advanced materials and processing methods on state of the art applications.  I've worked on spaceborne antennas, stealth aircraft components, and lots of lightweight composite aerospace parts.   Thru these projects I gained expertise with a wide variety of materials and processing techniques.  I am an inventor on 4 US Patents.

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Outside of my real job, I was owner, operator of several small, diverse  enterprises, including:

- TOMBOWS - mail order bow ties business

- 4/40 Table - Collaboration with David Rowland, inventor of 4/40 chair, on development of a stackable 4/40 table

- NASCAR - High temperature composite brake ducts for NASCAR applications

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In 2015 a job assignment brought me to Seattle on a monthly basis, enabling  me to pursue a lifelong interest in glass blowing. At the hands  of several very talented instructors, (Meagan White, Lydia Boss, Courtney Dodd) I gained hot glass skills and experience.  After building my own hot shop at home, I've been able to blow, quite literally, to my heart's content.  When in Seattle I work at Pratt Fine Arts Center.   In the last  couple of years I have participated in week sessions at Penland ( Ben Cobb, Courtney Dodd), Pilchuck (Scott Benefield)  and Pratt Fine Arts (Jason Christian, Clare Kelly).

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I am married to love of my life Marilyn, and have 2 adult children.  My home is in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia. 

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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-hower-44512162

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Marilyn and family members are creative artists as well.  Links to their work are provided below.

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