Alexander “Xander” Lowen was born in Sarasota and has lived most of his life in North Port. Following in his family’s footsteps, he works for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. He continues his family’s legacy of public safety service as an emergency operations supervisor.

“My grandfather was hired as a deputy in the 1970s, and my dad started working in communications in 1991 and became a deputy in 2000,” said Lowen. “My biggest hero is my dad; he’s always been a role model. It’s a wonderful feeling being able to give back and help the community that raised me.”

Lowen joined the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office in 2019 and was assigned to the Public Safety Communications Center as a call-taker. He later became a communications training officer and Critical Incident Stress Management Team member. In November 2025, he was promoted to Emergency Operations Supervisor within the Public Safety Communications Center.  

As an emergency operations supervisor, he jointly oversees work shifts to ensure balanced workflow and staffing needs. Lowen also monitors 911 calls, law enforcement and fire department dispatchers. When needed, he answers 911 calls and assists in dispatching first responders.

“Every single day I come in is different, and every call I take or radio transmissions I receive is a new adventure,” Lowen said. “There are good days and bad days, but the people around me are amazing. I believe everyone is a good person and everyone needs help sometimes, and I want to be there.”

Lowen values continuing education in his job and field. He earned a certification for dispatching law enforcement services in 2024 and fire services in 2025. In May 2025, he graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Public Safety and Emergency Management from State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF).

“Getting my college education was important to me because with the degree comes more knowledge,” Lowen said. “As someone who helps the citizens of Sarasota County through the darkest days of their lives, I can never be too prepared.”

As an SCF Venice student, Lowen completed his degree program online and on campus while working full-time for the sheriff’s office.  

“I’m grateful to State College of Florida for offering a public safety and emergency management program; it’s hard to find in some places,” Lowen said. “I chose SCF because it’s local and a smaller school where I could have a hands-on and one-on-one experience with professors, and that helped with my learning process. I enjoyed the flexibility to take most classes online, which worked well with my 12-hour shifts.”

Lowen enjoyed everything he learned in public safety and emergency management. He also appreciates his favorite class in horror literature, taught by Professor Douglas Ford, department chair, language and literature.

“In my program, every class had new information and was an absolute blast to participate in,” Lowen said. “The person who made the biggest impact on me at SCF was Professor Ford. He allowed us to learn in whatever ways worked best for us and opened us up to different ideas and ways of thinking.”

Lowen’s family has an ongoing connection with SCF. His parents graduated with their degrees from Manatee Community College, now known as SCF. His wife and sister are pursuing a business degree and a nursing degree, respectively, at the college.

Outside of work, Lowen likes spending time with his family, playing cards and board games and reading a good book. In the future, he hopes to grow in his career and in his service to the community. 

“I’m grateful for the citizens of Sarasota County for stepping up whenever they need to,” Lowen said. “I see myself as an operations manager with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. I love what I’m doing, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

#SCFProud