Jackson State University’s Development Foundation welcomes two new board members, Guyna Johnson and Bob Owens.
Johnson, a native of Clarksdale, followed in her parents’ footsteps and attended JSU. She graduated cum laude in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Later, she earned a juris doctorate from Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law and went on to become a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the District of Columbia’s Court of Appeals.
In addition, Johnson’s career led her to the financial markets industry. She serves as director at S&P Global (Chicago) and is responsible for analyzing fixed income mutual funds in the Global Financial Institutions Department. She successfully completed an expatriate assignment covering European and Asian credits (London) and served as a member of the Dodd Frank Implementation Team in New York.
The JSU alum brings financial and governance experience based on other boards of director memberships, including Girls in the Game, as finance chair; and executive committee member and the “Field of Dreams” annual gala co-chair.
Owens received his bachelor’s degree from JSU and his juris doctorate from Florida State University. He served as a trustee for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning for 11 years and has received numerous professional and community-based awards.
A partner in the Jackson-based Owens Moss law firm, Owens is listed in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, which is limited to only the most distinguished law practices. This distinction is for those who have achieved the AV® rating in the Martindale-Hubbell® Law Directory.
Owens is past president of the Magnolia Bar Association and the Charles Clark Chapter of the American Inn of Court. A chief U.S. judge appointed him to a U.S. Magistrate Selection Committee; Mississippi Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee; and the Mississippi Bar Disciplinary Complaints Tribunal. As well, Owens is a respected member of several organizations and associations and a recipient of many prestigious awards. He was inducted into JSU’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2010.
He is married to Chancellor Denise Sweet Owens and the father of Selika, Bobby, Brittany and Jason.