Key investor: Ron Fowler
Ron Fowler is the chairman and chief executive of Liquid Investments, Inc. and a principal and board member of Columbia Distributing in Oregon and Washington. Recognised as a beverage industry leader, Ron has chaired and been a member of numerous corporate and association boards over the past 50 years.
Ron led the ownership group and acted as executive chairman of the San Diego Padres (2012 – 2020). He is the former chair of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Labor Policy Committee, and former Control Person and member of MLB’s Executive Council. He remains involved with MLB and is currently a member of the Pension & Benefits Committee and PDL Governance Committee.
An avid sports enthusiast, Ron is chairman emeritus of the San Diego Sports Association. From 1987- 1991, he was the owner/managing general partner of the San Diego Sockers professional soccer team. He chaired the Mayor’s Task Force on Padres Planning, helping deliver a new ballpark for San Diego. He was the founding chair of the San Diego International Sports Council and also chaired the San Diego Super Bowl Task Force and the 2003 Super Bowl Host Committee. Ron’s efforts were instrumental in San Diego being awarded the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star game.
Ron’s special interest is higher education. In 2016, Ron and his wife, Alexis, contributed $25 million to an endowment challenge match for the benefit of San Diego State University’s (SDSU) College of Business. Additionally, Ron was the primary financial contributor and chaired the successful campaign to create the Entrepreneurial Management Center at SDSU and served as the first chairman of its board of governors. He is chairman emeritus of the SDSU Campanile Foundation and past chairman of the SDSU President’s Advisory Board. In 2005, Ron received an honorary doctorate from SDSU. Ron presently serves as chair of the newly formed Innovation District Advisory Group which provides input and expertise surrounding the Mission Valley development of innovation district projects and partnerships.
Ron is also engaged with the University of San Diego and the University of St. Thomas, his alma mater. Ron was a member of USD’s board of trustees from 1996 – 2016, was Board Chair for the last six years, and was awarded Chair Emeritus in 2016. Ron and Alexis recently contributed funds used to establish the annual Fowler Business Concept Challenge and the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge which is a partnership between both Universities.
Ron and his wife, Alexis, are the parents of five children and grandparents of three girls and a boy.