The Bowe Digital team announced the unexpected passing of its CEO and founder, Wayne M. Stanley.
The 38-year-old Stanley, who died on May 1, was a friend and inspiration to many in the title space.
“Wayne wasn’t just our leader. He was my mentor, my best friend and a part of my family,” Bowe Digital Chief Operating Officer Heather Lunsford. “We talked every single day — about work, life, nonsense and everything in between.”
Bowe Digital has activated a business continuity plan and will communicate specifics to their partners and clients in the coming weeks.
“All of us ask for grace, understanding and a degree of privacy as we navigate this challenging time,” the Bowe Digital team stated in a release.
From the start, Bowe Digital emphasized family. The company’s name honors Stanley’s maternal grandfather, and Stanley’s siblings had a direct hand in the beginnings of the firm. Brother Glen Stanley designed the original logo, and sister Koko Davis assisted Stanley with content creation and planning until Lunsford became the company’s first official hire a few months later. Stanley’s mother, Dorinda Davis, serves as Bowe Digital’s director of special projects and is the company’s primary handler of accounts and billing.
Stanley was also a popular speaker on the industry’s convention circuit. He often presented at events for October Research, the American Land Title Association (ALTA), RESPRO and multiple state land title associations.
Stanley worked with ALTA from 2012 to 2017 where he oversaw its Homeowner Outreach Program and worked with branding, communication and marketing.
Before ALTA, Stanley worked in Washington, D.C., for U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar following his graduation from Franklin College in Indiana in 2008. He relocated to his hometown of Kokomo, Ind., when he launched Bowe Digital.
Stanley received the October Research 2023 Leadership Award at that year’s National Settlement Services Summit (NS3), in recognition of his exceptional leadership of his employees, providing guidance and training and setting clear expectations.
HousingWire recently named Stanley a Rising Star for the second year in a row for his leadership of Bowe Digital and his ongoing contributions to the title industry as a whole.
Details on a remembrance for Stanley will be released at a later date. Memorial contributions in his name can be made to the American Cancer Society or the Love Pet Project in Zionsville, Ind.