In Memoriam: Janet Owens

Posted on May 1, 2020 By Editor In Memoriam

January 4, 1953 to April 8, 2020

A rare spirit. A phenomenal community leader. A sharp, clear-eyed thinker. An impassioned advocate. A wonderful, talented, and caring person.

Those are just a few ways Janet Owens was described by people who knew her well.

Owens, who was executive director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) passed away April 8 from a long battle with cancer. Her passing left behind “enormous shoes to fill,” said Maurice A. Jones, CEO/president of LISC’s national office. “In her honor, we commit to continuing her life’s work.”

During the past 10 years that Owens had served as executive director for LISC, a nonprofit that revitalizes and rebuilds urban neighborhoods, she was often described as “a tremendous driving force” in advancing the nonprofit’s mission.

“Janet was a rare spirit, always filled with love and a positive outlook, and possessed an extraordinary ability to make everyone she encountered feel important and heard,” said Sherry Magill, chair of the LISC Advisory Board. “She inspired and challenged everyone, in her uniquely kind and gracious manner, to overcome obstacles in creating a better quality of life for all. Her devotion to her family, her work, and her community was selfless. Jacksonville has suffered a tremendous loss, but we are also filled with gratitude and lifelong appreciation for having received all that Janet gave to so many for so long.”

Owens shifted LISC’s strategic focus to a more comprehensive approach to community development when she took on the job of executive director in 2010. She directed the launch of numerous initiatives that have improved access to quality education, increased family income and wealth, created affordable housing, spurred economic investment and development, and fostered safer and healthier neighborhoods for thousands of urban residents and stakeholders.

Under Owens’ tutelage, LISC Jacksonville took a “bottom-up” approach to community revitalization, investing millions to improve Jacksonville’s inner-city neighborhoods. Believing that each community had its own human resources, Owens viewed her organization as a bridge builder between community members and external resources, such as capital and lending. Her methods empowered members to create their own redevelopment plans, and the positive impact was apparent in improvements in Northwest Jacksonville, Historic Springfield, New Town, the Railroad District, and others.

She was also a driving force behind LISC’s investment in the historic preservation of the Barnett Bank and Laura Street Trio.

Prior to joining LISC Jacksonville, Owens served as vice president of marketing and communications for United Way of Northeast Florida. She also previously held leadership roles at Girl Scouts of Gateway Council and Volunteer Jacksonville.

In 2019, she received the University of North Florida’s OneJax Humanitarian Award in recognition of her integrity and dedication to improving human relations among diverse local groups. She was also recognized by Leadership Jacksonville as an outstanding trustee during its 2018 Leadership Celebration, and she received the Women of Distinction Award for her career accomplishments and commitment to community service by the Girl Scouts of Gateway Council in 2009.

Over the years, she was a Paul Harris Fellow, member of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, and served on numerous nonprofit boards.

Nina Waters, president of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, said she was fortunate to work with Owens in the nonprofit sector for many years. “Janet dedicated her career to improving the quality of life for all our citizens, especially those who live in neighborhoods that have been neglected for far too long,” she said. “She had the perfect balance of patience and tenacity – finding ways to bring together and mobilize the right group of people to bring complex community projects to completion.

J.F. Bryan IV of Ortega, former chair of the LISC Jacksonville Advisory Council, had nothing by praise and admiration for Owens. “Janet was a phenomenal community leader whose passion for helping our most vulnerable neighbors was rooted deeply in her soul, and she radiated that passion to everyone around her,” he said. “She was an uplifting individual who had remarkable intuition on how to bring people together and enact long-lasting, positive change for so many. Janet was a very courageous individual, persevering in advancing LISC’s mission despite the personal health challenges she faced in recent years. I am honored and grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside her for so many years. Being around her was absolute, pure joy.”