Sharon M. Owens served as Vice President of CenterPoint Energy’s Corporate Community Relations Department, where she oversaw the company’s corporate giving, and she continues to maintain a well-established professional relationship with key leaders and members of the business community, nonprofit agencies, schools and elected officials. Sharon joined the company in 1977 and became one of the most respected corporate figures in Houston’s charitable community before retiring after 35 years of dedicated service.
Sharon is currently active on several professional and civic boards, including the Houston Downtown Management District Board, Precinct 1 Street Olympics, Neighborhood Recovery Community Development Corp, The Ensemble Theatre, River Oaks Women’s Breakfast Club, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Huffington Center on Aging, and the Missouri City Chapter of Links where she serves as President.
In 2007, Sharon was featured in Who’s Who in Black Houston and has been recognized by Leadership Houston as one of their Top 25 Leaders. She is a recipient of the “Spirit of Anne Morrow Lindbergh” award from the Huffington Center on Aging and has been honored as a Woman of Distinction by Channel 13 and Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and by Texas Executive Women as a “Woman on the Move.”
Sharon grew up in San Antonio and received degrees from St. Phillip’s Jr. College and Tennessee State University (with honors). She has the ability and intuition to assess needs in the community and match the right people with the right causes to achieve the right results.
Over the years, Sharon has chaired or co-chaired many fundraisers which have contributed over $2 million dollars to the community, including the Houston Hospice Butterfly Luncheon, the Children’s Defense Fund “Beat the Odds” Luncheon, Houston Museum of African American Culture Gala, UH Women’s Studies Luncheon, and the Planned Parenthood Political Action Luncheon.
Sharon is co-owner of La Maison in Midtown, which was recently selected by BedandBreakfast.com as one of the Top 10 new urban bed-and-breakfast inns in the world. She is married to Douglas Owens and is looking forward to her new career as an owner/entrepreneur, continuing her aspiration to make a difference in Houston.