William Owens Appointed to College Council

"I'm delighted to become part of an organization which has such important work to do in the North Country and has such a significant impact on so many aspects of our lives," said Owens.

On behalf of the College Council, Arnold Amell, acting chair of the council, said that he is very pleased with the appointment of Owens.

"Mr. Owens' professional background broadens the professional diversity among the Council members and helps to again increase the value of the members of the College Council as a resource to the College administration.  His background and expertise in business law will be an especially valuable addition to the College Council."  Amell also noted, "He is a strong supporter of Plattsburgh State and is a community leader in the North Country and I, along with my fellow Council members, look forward to working with him on behalf of the College." 

Owens is a partner of the Plattsburgh and Albany offices of the Harris Beach LLP law firm, formerly known as Stafford, Trombley, Owens and Curtin, P.C., where he has been a partner since 1982.  He is a member of the Harris Beach LLP Management Committee and is a general practice lawyer with an emphasis on business law, the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, international transactions, not-for-profit corporations and tax and commercial matters.

Prior to that, Owens served as a tax consultant at Telling and Potter, C.P.A., in Plattsburgh. He has served in the Judge Advocates Office with the United States Air Force and was also a member of the tax and audit staff for Price Waterhouse and Company.

From 1978 to 1985, Owens was a business law instructor at SUNY Plattsburgh. He also taught business law at Alpena Community College in Michigan.

Owens has been included in the Who's Who in American Law as well as the Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. He is a member of Delta Mu Delta, the national business honor society, and Omicron Delta Epsilon, the national economics honor society.

Owens has served on the board of directors of various organizations, including: NBT Bank Corp.; Community Providers, Inc., a holding company for CVPH Medical Center, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, CVPH Medical Center Foundation and Mediquest, Inc.; Prim Hall Enterprises, Inc.; Champlain National Bank; Economic Development and Technical Assistance Center at SUNY Plattsburgh; and the SUNY Plattsburgh Business and Advancement Advisory Council.

Previous board memberships and affiliations have included serving as a member on the board of directors for the Plattsburgh College Foundation; member of the Appellate Division, Third Department of the Supreme Court of the State of New York Committee on Professional Standards; member of the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce Adhoc Committee on the City of Plattsburgh Business Climate; past president of the Adirondack Ballet Company, Ltd.; past vice chairman and member of the board of trustees for the Plattsburgh Public Library; and member of the Clinton County Blue Ribbon Panel studying economic development.

He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Manhattan College in Bronx, N.Y. and graduated in the top half of his class from Fordham University Law School in New York, N.Y.

Owens and his wife, Jane, have three children and currently reside in Plattsburgh.
  
-- 30 --