Pat Owens

Infobox Person

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caption =Owens at Grand Forks Air Force Base in April 1997
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birth_place =East Grand Forks, Minnesota
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residence =Ocala, Florida
nationality =USA
ethnicity =Caucasian
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known_for =Mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota during the 1997 Red River Flood.
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title =Mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota
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term =1996 - 2000
predecessor =Michael Polovitz
successor =Dr. Michael Brown
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spouse =Bobby Owens
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Patrica A. Owens (born 1941 in East Grand Forks, Minnesota) was the mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota during the flood that devastated the city in April 1997. She actively lobbied then-president Bill Clinton for funds to rebuild the city and construct a permanent flood protection system for the city and neighboring East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

Political career

Owens worked as the mayor's executive assistant for 33 years,cite web |url=http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/rss.cfm?id=34984 |title=FLOOD OF 1997: Mayor Pat is Back |last=Bakken |first=Ryan |work=GrandForksHerold.com |date=2007-04-19 |accessdate=2008-10-09] before running for mayor herself in 1996. She received 76% of the vote and became Grand Forks' first female mayor.cite book |first=Ashley |last=Shelby |title=Red River Rising |publisher=Borealis Books |date=2003 |location=United States |pages=34 |isbn=0873515005] Then in 1997, after less than one year as mayor, the city was struck by the 1997 Red River Flood. She received numerous awards and national recognition for her efforts after the flood. She ran for a second term in 2000, but was defeated by Dr. Michael Brown. Also in 2000, Owens was a member of the Mayors' Campaign Against Breast Cancer. [cite web |url=http://www.usmayors.org/cancer/xchange0600.pdf |title=USCM - Breast Cancer Information eXchange |work=USMayors.org |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-10-09]

Retirement

Owens currently resides in Ocala, Florida, where she moved too in 2001. That same year, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of North Dakota. [cite web |url=http://www.und.edu/commencement_spr08/Commencement_Spr08.pdf |title=THE ORDER OF EXERCISES - 120TH GENERAL COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY |work=UND.edu |publisher=University of North Dakota |format=PDF |date=2008-05-10 |accessdate=2008-10-09] In 2004 when Florida was struck by a string of hurricanes, she was asked by FEMA to act as an ambassador for them by trying to help give the vitcims some sort of hope.cite web |url=http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/rss.cfm?id=34984 |title=FLOOD OF 1997: Mayor Pat is Back |last=Bakken |first=Ryan |work=GrandForksHerold.com |date=2007-04-19 |accessdate=2008-10-09] However, she was unable too as the retirement development had been damaged by two of the hurricanes that hit the state.cite web |url=http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/rss.cfm?id=34984 |title=FLOOD OF 1997: Mayor Pat is Back |last=Bakken |first=Ryan |work=GrandForksHerold.com |date=2007-04-19 |accessdate=2008-10-09]

ee also

* List of mayors of Grand Forks, North Dakota
* 1997 Red River Flood in the United States

References

* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/jan-june97/check_4-30.html FLOOD AFTERMATH (APRIL 30, 1997)]

Notes