Pat Owens

Patrica A. Owens (born 1941) 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.

Pat Owens
Owens at Grand Forks Air Force Base in April 1997
Born	1941 (age 78–79) East Grand Forks, Minnesota, U.S.
Nationality	American
Known for	Mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota during the 1997 Red River Flood.
Title	Mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota
Term	1996 - 2000
Predecessor	Michael Polovitz
Successor	Michael Brown
Spouse(s)	Bobby Owens

Political career

Owens, born in 1941 in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, worked as the mayor's executive assistant for 33 years,[1] before running for mayor herself in 1996. She received 76% of the vote and became Grand Forks' first female mayor.[2] 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 Michael Brown. Also in 2000, Owens was a member of the Mayors' Campaign Against Breast Cancer.[3]

Retirement

Owens currently resides in Ocala, Florida, where she moved in 2001. That same year, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of North Dakota.[4] In 2004 when Florida was struck by a string of hurricanes, she was asked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to act as an ambassador for them by trying to help give the victims some sort of hope.[1] However, she was unable to as the retirement development had been damaged by two of the hurricanes that hit the state.[1]

See also

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

References

1. Bakken, Ryan (April 19, 2007). "FLOOD OF 1997: Mayor Pat is Back". Grand Forks Herold.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
2. Shelby, Ashley (2003). Red River Rising. United States: Borealis Books. p. 34. ISBN 0-87351-500-5.
3. "USCM - Breast Cancer Information eXchange" (PDF). USMayors.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
4. "University of North Dakota - Summer Commencement" (PDF). UND.edu. University of North Dakota. May 10, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2019.

External links

• FLOOD AFTERMATH (APRIL 30, 1997)

Political offices
Preceded by Michael Polovitz	Mayor of Grand Forks 1996-2000	Succeeded by Michael Brown