Elk's Member Royce Bishop, DeeAnn Owens, Lt. Chris Owens, Sheriff Gary Vowell  &  Elk's Lodge Exalted Ruler Dan Lockhart

Lt. Chris Owens chosen Elk’s Officer Of The Year

Lieutenant Chris Owens, a 20 year law enforcement veteran, has been selected by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk as their State Public Officer of the Year.  All Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk hold a banquet each year to honor all of the Public Safety Officers in their area.  Each Lodge honors one distinguished officer to be honored as the local Public Safety Officer of the Year.  These officers are then submitted to the Grand Lodge to determine who will be chosen as State Public Officer of the Year.  Lt. Owens was selected locally and was then submitted for the state honor.  Dan Lockhart, Exalted Ruler of the Tifton Lodge, submitted the application.

This is the second honor for the Tifton Lodge as the late Colonel Jack Woolard, of the Tift County Sheriff’s Office, was chosen as the State Public Safety Officer of the year in 2007.