Owens appointed to fill school board vacancy

OXFORD » Eric Owens was appointed at the Sept. 17 Oxford Area School Board meeting to fill the vacancy on the board, created by the resignation of David Severino in August.

Owens had run for school board against Severino and lost in 2017. “When I ran, I ran as a Democrat, but I’m probably more of a moderate or independent,” he said.

Originally from the Harrisburg area, Owens took his undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh, masters at IUP and earned his doctorate at Duquesne. He was a school counselor in the Pittsburgh area for four-and-half years. He relocated to Oxford Borough in 2011 when he took a professorship at West Chester University, where he is chairman of the Counselor Education Department.

Owens’ expertise will be useful to him on the school board. “Certainly pupil services guidance, safety and security, things like that are specialization of mine academically,” he said.

Owens has children in the school district – a 5-year-old daughter who has just entered kindergarten and a 12-year-old son in seventh grade. They are a large part of his reason for wanting to serve on the school board.

“I have a great deal of knowledge and understanding of schools, school districts and how they work. When I saw that the position was vacant, I saw it was as an opportunity to give back to my community,” Owens said.

Owens was the only applicant for the vacancy created by Severino’s resignation.

“An appointment to the board is the easiest way to get on the board,” School Board President Joseph Tighe said. “It was distressing there was one candidate. That’s sad. I want to commend Dr. Owens for stepping forward.”

Owens will serve until the 2019 elections. If he wishes to continue on the board, he will have to run for re-election at that time.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Eric Owens