‘Y’ honors work by St. Bernards’ Owens

Michael Wilkey | The Sun Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin (right) congratulates Ben E. Owens on Thursday night in Jonesboro.

Friday, May 1, 2009

By Michael Wilkey | The Sun

JONESBORO — A local man was honored Thursday night for his professional and community achievements by being called “The Toast of the Town.”

Ben E. Owens received the third annual Toast of the Town award from the Jonesboro YMCA during a banquet at the Southwest Church of Christ.

Owens, who serves as president and CEO of St. Bernards Healthcare, was honored by two friends — Bill Rainwater and Charles Frierson III.

Rainwater said Owens, who came to the Jonesboro hospital in 1972 as an administrator, has been a cog in the machine in the proverbial engine of Jonesboro since then.

“Ben Owens has done so much for Jonesboro and the hospital. And it is a pleasure to be here tonight to honor him,” Rainwater said.

Frierson said Owens has been instrumental in the hospital’s growth and the growth of downtown Jonesboro.

“He has the amazing ability to absorb information and the nonsense of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.,” Frierson said. “He has brought in experts. With all that goes on during the day, he must gather information at night. It might mean he has to miss such things as ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ but you can see the brick and mortar of his work.”

“I want to say thank you. I like to do things behind the scenes, way behind the scenes,” Owens said. “But my thought is to get involved in our community, you have to have individual and corporate responsibility.”

More than 1,000 local youths and adults participate in activities at the YMCA. The people there learn valuable lessons, Owens said.

“The after-school program gives the young folks something to do. It engages school students and professionals. It is a strong influence in our community,” Owens said.

After the event, Owens said he was thankful for the award.

Copyright 2009 Jonesboro Sun