Owen R. Reeves
Owen is a native of New Jersey born in Trenton spending the first four years of his life on Brookdale Farm (dairy) in Chesterfield. He attended Peter Muschal, William MacFarland Junior High and graduated from Bordentown Regional High School. During his time in high school he was inducted with the junior class into Honor Society and participated in many clubs and activities including track and cross-country. He particularly appreciated the guidance and tutelage of fellow Academic Alumni, Beverly Whittington for math club which helped set his path for his engineering endeavor.
Owen is a proud Mountaineer graduating from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s in Science Civil Engineering degree in 1977. Later he went on to complete his MBA from the University of Southern Indiana. Other professional accomplishments over the years include Professional Engineer (Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania) and Professional Surveyor (West Virginia).
The near entirety of Owen’s career was focused in the energy field. Including four years with Peabody Coal Company starting as shift foreman on the construction of a Marion 8200 dragline, two underground mines and overland beltlines in Illinois. He was superintendent on the construction of the new Peabody headquarters when they moved from St. Louis to Henderson, Kentucky. Sixteen years were spent with Big Rivers Electric Corporation as Senior Engineer including four years on the construction of a $1.2 billion dollar power plant.
But Owen’s true professional passion was found when he entered in the natural gas distribution industry as the Gas System Director for Henderson Municipal Gas, the largest customer base municipal LDC in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and in the top 60 nationally for throughput. Under Owen’s leadership HMG received the Governor’s Health and Safety Award. He has served as Chairman of the Public Energy Authority of Kentucky (PEAK) and was the American Public Gas Association Chairman for 2019, earning the Distinguished Service Award. While serving on the AGPA board over the years, many trips were made to Washington, DC meeting with FERC officials including other high level meetings in the efforts to support and protect municipal natural gas users of 700 plus member systems throughout the United States.
Owen is married to his wife Rebecca and they have two sons. He is also a Kentucky Colonel, the highest honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.