‘PURE LOVE’

In a way, Ness Owens carries on her mom’s legacy by practicing kindness at work. Barbiece Ness, as Ness Owens describes her, was the epitome of kindness who “found the happy” in everything. Barbiece strived to create a loving home for her daughter, five sons and husband.

“It was just love, pure love,” Ness Owens says.

Barbiece championed Ness Owens’ career, too. They were best friends who’d talk daily and watch “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” over and over. Their relationship was built on conversation and togetherness since Barbiece lived with rheumatoid arthritis most of her life.

Two years ago, after a brief battle with leukemia, Barbiece passed away in palliative care. Ness Owens was devastated and misses her daily—but, like her mom, she’s worked to see the best in it. She’s become close with her dad and uses her experience to help others with sick loved ones navigate hospitals, social services and other challenges.

In and out of the office, she aims to make things better for people.

“If I can help your journey be a little bit smoother, I want to do that. I want to help people, and I hate seeing people struggle,” she says.

Over the last 15 years, Flint Group President Jodi Duncan has witnessed Ness Owens’ leadership and kindness. The women have become close friends over the years they’ve worked together, and Duncan admires Ness Owens’ kindness, generosity and commitment to building relationships.

“She takes every opportunity to share her kind heart,” she says. “Laura is a wonderful representative of successful women, but more importantly, she’s a good person who wants to make the world a better place.”

Ness Owens’ husband, Steve, describes his wife as strongly committed to work and equally committed to their family. He also travels frequently for his job and says they work together to ensure they have family time.

They take family vacations whenever they can and have a standing Sunday dinner date with Ness Owens’ dad.

“When you have time together, you have to make the best of it,” Steve says.

“We work so hard for them. I think that’s one thing I learned from my mom, too: Family’s first,” Ness Owens says. “I want to make sure that I’m always keeping them at the front of my mind. They’re the reason I get up and get going every morning.”