Date:
4/26/2002
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
Reporter: Donna Gutierrrez
ROSWELL – Roswell Mayor Bill B. Owen will be the featured speaker as the Adult Basic Education Department at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell holds its Thirteenth Annual GED High School Completion Graduation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 in the Performing Arts Center on campus.
About 50 students will receive GED certificates. For adults who did not complete high school, the Tests of General Educational Development (GED) provide an opportunity to earn a high school credential. Since 1986, ENMU-Roswell's GED Testing Center has issued more than 3,000 high school equivalency diplomas.
Owen has been the Mayor of Roswell since March of 1998. He is also Land Manager for LDM Associates, an oil and gas exploration and development company which works primarily in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas. Born and raised in Roswell, Owen is a 1971 graduate of Goddard High School. In 1976, he graduated from the University of Maryland, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement. Owen worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. from 1973-78. When he returned to Roswell, Owen served two consecutive terms on the Roswell City Council from 1988-96.
Owen was the recipient of the 2000 Apex Citizens Award presented by the American Association of Professional Landmen. The A.A.P.L., with a membership of more than 7,000, presents the award annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to their local community. Volunteer organizations have always been a top priority for him. He is a 1997 graduate of Leadership Roswell, and in 1990 he served as Chairman of the largest ever annual fund-raising campaign for the United Way of Chaves County.
A proud member of the Christian Motorcyclist Association, Owen enjoys the wide open spaces of southeastern New Mexico to ride his Harley. He also participates in athletic games such as golf and tennis and has run in numerous marathons. Owen and his wife, Kay, have two children – Jerrot, a sophomore at Texas Tech University, and Jenna, a senior at Goddard High School.