George Clayton Owens of Chipley, Florida has been a member of the West Florida Electric Cooperative for more than forty-five years and has served as a member of that Board of Trustees for the past 12 years.
Owens recently made the announcement that he would be seeking re-election to that position.
Looking at the re-election process as a job application, Owens has consistently made an effort to let the public know the state of affairs of the cooperative and has taken the opportunity to discuss what West Florida Electric is, does and the progress it has made over the past several years, handling challenges such as Hurricane Michael.
All too often these races become popularity contests, with non-qualified persons running for a position, and it’s important that the voters have the opportunity to meet these candidates prior to visiting the ballot box.
George graduated from Chipley High School, Chipola College and Auburn University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education.
He retired from the Florida Department of Agriculture as an Environmentalist and now lives and works on the family farm.
During his tenure as your representative, he has been honored to attend the Florida Statewide Electric Cooperative meetings in Tallahassee and obtained the credentials of Cooperative Director Certificate, Board Leadership Certificate and the Director Gold Credential, all to better serve the members of WFECA.
Owens has served his community through the Washington County 4-H, Washington-Homes Cattleman’s Association, as an advisor to the University of Florida Sub-Tropical Agroforestry Conference, Chairman of the Washington County Extension Advisory Committee, Trustee for The First Baptist Church and was elected to the Orange Hill Soil and Water Conservation Board.
Owens has developed a system called Silvopasture on his farm because of his interest in timber and cattle and is open for educational tours at any time. Individuals have come from as far away as Texas and Washington, D.C. to attend these tours.
He has spoken at numerous training and educational conferences and been featured in the Furrow, Florida Farmer Magazine, Southern Farmer, Progressive Farmer and Florida Cattleman Magazine.
Owens has also been honored with the Outstanding Service Award given at the Farm City Banquet, The Distinguished Service Award, along with the Innovative Florida Small Farmer Award given by the University of Florida and Florida A&M University.
He has also received an honorable mention for the National Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture. In 2017, he was awarded the Florida Land Steward Landowner of the Year Award from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
