Jeff Owens to Receive Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award

Jeff Owens from Peoria, IL, Class of 1987, and a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, received a Westminster College Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award on Saturday, April 29, during the college’s Alumni Weekend.

Owens is Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Technology Services, Inc., the global leader in industrial and IT services that helps make businesses run better. Founded in 1985, ATS employs 3,400 people and is headquartered in Peoria, IL with offices and service centers in Chicago, Detroit, Greenville, SC; Monterrey, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award is presented annually to alumni whose accomplishments reflect the Westminster mission and who have distinguished themselves through personal achievements, professional achievements and /or have made significant contributions to society.

“While I was at Westminster I learned how to interact with others, share my ideas, and get things done – often in a small class setting around a conference room table. This made for an easy transition to business and the interactions I have with customers and co-workers in conference rooms around the world,” says Owens, who grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Westminster. “My time at Westminster definitely prepared me for the ‘real world’ – I am very appreciative of what the college has done for me!”

Owens has demonstrated his strong commitment to Westminster by providing opportunities for employment and internships for today’s Westminster students.  He is also a member of the Chancellor’s Circle, the most significant giving society at Westminster.

Owens has dedicated his career to building ATS from a small start-up that was spun out of Caterpillar into an important supplier of manufacturing and IT technology services to many of the largest manufacturing companies in the world. He started his career in a sales training program after graduating from Westminster.

He has been a long-term and active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and continues to expand his horizons with new experiences and educational opportunities while maintaining a strong network of business leaders throughout the world. He is an accomplished entrepreneur with experience in growing a company by focusing on culture, quality, people and customers. He travels extensively for his business and lives in Peoria, IL. with his wife and two children.

Owens received his award at a special Alumni Honors Convocation Ceremony held on Saturday, April 29, in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury on the Westminster campus in Fulton, MO. The award is approved by the Alumni Council and requires a motion and vote from the Board of Trustees for approval. Up to six alumni can receive the award annually.