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GATESVILLE – A recognizable face will deliver the commencement address for the Gates County High School Class of 2024.

Adam Owens will serve as the featured speaker at this year’s graduation ceremony set for a 7:30 p.m. start on Friday, June 7.

Owens, a 1997 graduate of Gates County High School, is an award-winning journalist and public relations professional. He spent 15 years at WRAL-TV in Raleigh as a reporter and anchor. There he won two Emmys and an Edward R. Murrow award for his coverage of breaking news events.

Owens, the son of Jack and Denise Owens of Gatesville, has also worked at WAVY-TV in Norfolk, VA, and WNCT-TV in Greenville.

He is a graduate of East Carolina University.

Owens currently serves as communication manager and spokesperson for the North Carolina Education Lottery.

He resides in Raleigh with his wife, Lynn, and their two daughters, Emma and Anna.

At the graduation ceremony, local photographer Charles Revelle will be providing photo packages of each graduate. They will be available for sale in the lobby.