W. Lowell Putnam is the great-grandnephew of Lowell Observatory founder Percival Lowell. He currently serves as the 5th Sole Trustee of the observatory, having succeeded his father, Bill, in 2013. Putnam holds a B.S. in Psychology from American International College in Massachusetts. In 1984, he founded Video Communications, Inc. (VCI), a software company specializing in business systems for TV networks, cable channels and local TV Stations. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Northern Arizona University in 2018.