Michael Owens Joins The Alliance as Community Development Director
Michael Owens recently joined The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City as the Community Development Director. 

"Michael's experience in community building and leadership will continue to help provide new development opportunities across Oklahoma City," said Cathy O'Connor, president of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.

Owens has created, spearheaded and coordinated engaging programs to help unify communities. He has a proven history of bringing diverse communities together to provide opportunities for collaboration, as well as cultural and social exchanges. 

As a community organizer, Owens led literacy, leadership and mentor programming. He continues to be successful at integrating divergent opinions, dispelling misconceptions and mitigating arising conflicts when it comes to community building.

Owens' successful career began in the United States Navy, where he achieved Sailor of the Year honors. He then went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, earning degrees in History, Political Science and Law, and additionally received the Outstanding Graduate Award. Owens received his Master of Library & Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  
 
As Community Development Director, Michael will focus on the Northeast Renaissance, a new effort to spur economic development and revitalization in northeast Oklahoma City. Northeast Renaissance includes arts and educational components, the creation of a new tax increment financing district, the redevelopment of Page Woodson and its surrounding land, the recently announced mixed-use project, King's Crossing, at 23rd & Martin Luther King Jr., and helping Oklahoma City develop and grow as a cohesive community.
Oklahoma City Becoming International Oil and Gas Hub
Image courtesy of Jeff Riles
On Monday, May 12th, General Electric hosted business and community leaders at the groundbreaking for its new Global Research Oil and Gas Technology Center in Oklahoma City. The 95,000 square feet world class research center will host the best and brightest in the oil and gas industry from around the world. Governor Mary Fallin and Congressman James Lankford addressed the crowd about the importance of GE locating this facility in Oklahoma City. Initially creating over 130 high-quality, high-income jobs, the Global Research Center continues to reinforce Oklahoma City's role as a hub for the oil and gas industry.

General Electric Oil and Gas CEO, Lorenzo Simonelli, and the Research Center's new General Manager, Michael Ming, shared GE's plans for growing the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma City. "Today's groundbreaking shows the remarkable progress we have made in such a short time to build and establish GE's technology presence in Oklahoma," Ming said.

The Research Center is being constructed on land owned by the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority at N.E. 10th and N. Walnut. General Electric will be utilizing the Strategic Investment Program, a voter-approved economic development incentive fund used to assist in the creation of quality jobs in Oklahoma City. The GE Global Research Center is expected to open in 2015.
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The Alliance was created in 2011 to better serve the economic development needs of Oklahoma City.

With its collaboration with city and private entities, the Alliance acts as a "one-stop-shop" for businesses in need of assistance from the public sector.

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