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Laura Owen

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Laura Owen (born Laura Smith, November 11, 1957) is a business executive and entrepreneur. Under the name Laura Nicholl, she was the first woman selected to be Kansas Secretary of Commerce in 1991–1992.

A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Owen grew up in France and the United States. She attended Council Rock High School in Newtown, Pennsylvania, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business in 1979 from Delaware Valley College, and studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Owen was the first woman executive hired as part of an executive training program at St. Regis Paper Company. Owen worked as a financial advisor, and for Stephens Inc. investment bank, in the 1980s. In 1990 she managed transactions, operational growth, and expeditions and vacationing for the State.

In January 1991, she was appointed Secretary of Commerce by Governor Joan Finney. Governor Finney fired her from the position in June 1992, after she took a trip to the Middle East that was characterized as unauthorized expenditures, and also after a disagreement between her and the governor about a proposed bond issue.

She married her sometime business partner, former Kansas Lieutenant Governor Dave Owen, after he served a short prison sentence for tax evasion in 1994 (he was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton). In 2002, they founded ICOP Digital, Inc., a business which engineered and marketed mobile video and digital surveillance products. She served as President and Chief Operating Officer while David served as CEO. ICOP's first international market was Saudi Arabia. The company ceased operations in December 2010 and filed for bankruptcy in 2011.

Owen is the leader of Ponscio, a networking organization for women entrepreneurs. Owen was also the founder and CEO of PontSalus, a healthcare company. Owen worked on the board of Heart to Heart International, a philanthropic institution, and she and her husband donated $250,000 to establish the David C. Owen Leadership Institute at Ottawa University. In 2012 she was named to the Board of Trustees of Delaware Valley College.

References

  1. ^ Kelly Flynn, "Del Val grad talks up women entrepeneurs", Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2, 2014.
  2. ^ Ziegler, Laura (2 November 2009). "Lenexa Woman Does Business Saudi-Style". Kcur. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  3. "Laura Owen". Forbes. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  4. "1979 Delval Graduate Joins Kansas Cabinet", The Morning Call, January 31, 1991.
  5. "Nicholl cites bond dispute in ouster", Associated Press in Fort Scott Tribune, July 3, 1992.
  6. ^ Scott Canon, "Lenexa firm suspends operations, seeks funds", The Wichita Eagle, December 25, 2010.
  7. Twiddy, David (4 February 2011). "ICOP's end abrupt, woes protracted". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  8. "Laura Owen". Kansas City Business Journal. 29 July 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  9. ^ Larson, Sarah (3 March 2012). "DelVal Appoints Alumnus to Board". Patch. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  10. "Institute Founders, David and Laura Owen". Ottawa University. Retrieved 21 November 2014.

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