June 3rd, 2021
11:00 AM
Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
305 E. 5th Street
In order to emphasize the importance of Odessa's small business community, the Odessa Chamber of Commerce honors one individual each year as Entrepreneur of the Year.
Additionally, the Odessa Chamber of Commerce inducts one or more individuals into the Business Hall of Fame. Help us recognize these individuals by nominating a business leader today.
Entrepreneur of the Year - Mike Withrow
Mike Withrow, an Austin native, attended the University of Texas from 1980-1981 majoring in Business Management and was on the baseball team. Mike was drafted after his junior year to play professionally for the Chicago White Sox. In 1984, following his professional baseball career, Mike entered the title insurance industry and worked in Austin, San Marcos and finally in Odessa.
In 2005, Mike opened the doors of Basin Abstract & Title, a title insurance company that serves residential and commercial buyers and sellers throughout Ector County. Basin’s philosophy is to treat every customer the way they would want to be treated. They strive to inform and protect their customers at every turn. Mike says, “It is truly gratifying to be a part of many first home or business purchases. We get to see the excitement in their eyes as they close on the property of their dreams.”
Mike is a member of First United Methodist Church. He serves on the board of Odessa Industrial Development Corporation, as an Agent at Large for Texas Land Title Association Board of Directors, a member of the Compliance Committee of Odessa Development Corporation and is an Affiliate member of the Odessa Board of Realtors. He has previously served on the board of Odessa Housing Finance Corporation, North Ector Little League, Odessa Youth Baseball Association and was also a volunteer varsity baseball coach at Midland Christian for nine years.
Mike has been married to Judy for 38 years and they are the proud parents of three sons: Chris and Jaclyn, Steve and Ali, and Matt and Kristin, who currently make their homes in the Odessa/Midland area. They are also proud grandparents to five grandchildren with number six on the way.
Business Hall of Fame - Phil Fouche
Phil Fouche was born in Hobbs, New Mexico. He later relocated to Odessa where he played for the Permian High School football team, winning state in 1965. After graduating, he attended East Texas State University where he received a degree in Biology and Education, and a minor in Speech.
Phil has not only traveled as an instructor all over the world but has owned multiple companies over the years. First, he was the owner of Cobra Coating in 1978, then went on to own Quatro Products in 1986. In 2003, Phil went on to own Rexco. Rexco is a supplier of polyethylene pipe connections and assorted materials.
Phil has served the community in multiple ways. He has served as President of the YMCA Board of Directors, Elected as the President of the ECISD School Board, Officer, Board of Directors of the Ector County Appraisal District and Chairman of the Political Redistricting of Ector County. He also has been an active member of the First United Methodist Church for over 62 years.
On top of serving the community and being a business owner, Phil is a published author of two children’s books and is currently working on his third. He is a private pilot, shrimper, as well as an offshore fishing captain.
Phil is married to Cindy and together they have five children and nine grandchildren.
Business Hall of Fame - Roy Gillean
Roy Gillean was born and raised in the Sacramento Valley of California.
He worked during the high school summer months at Dan Russell & Cotton Rosser rodeos in the arena and would play fiddle at his family’s ho-downs. In 1983 Roy joined the Air Force and officially started his food service career. In 2004 Roy purchase the Legendary Barn Door Steakhouse. When you step inside, look around; from the giant windmill, to T-Bone the steer, to pairs of cowboy boots and hats donated by beloved customers, to the sizzling char grill cooking up those mouth-watering steaks, to the cowhide decorated stage sporting Roy’s familiar fiddle, you know that Roy is a country boy at heart. Roy also is the proud owner of Johnny’s Barbecue ad Diner in Midland.
Every year, Roy organizes and feeds all the Sand Hills Rodeo contestants, sponsors, and board members, and has done it for years. In addition, Roy is a State Board Member of the Texas Restaurant Association, two-time past president of the Permian Basin Restaurant Association, and loves to share his passion for the restaurant industry with local high school students using his 42’ mobile kitchen. Roy is also supporter of The Odessa College Rodeo program, Permian Basin Fair, Odessa Chamber of Commerce, Midland Association of Retarded Citizens, Permian Basin Rehab Center, The Aspasia Center, Centers for Children & Families and one of his favorites, Hunt for Heroes, plus countless others over the years. Roy also served as the Odessa Chamber Board of Directors Chair in 2017.
Roy is married to Tami and together they have three daughters and two grandchildren.
Business Hall of Fame - Rodney Hurt
Rodney Hurt was born and raised in Midland and Odessa. He graduated from Permian High School then later attended Odessa College and Texas Tech University. He received a degree in Secondary Education and a minor in Geology. Rodney worked as a teacher and coach for a few years as well as owning a sports calendar company for over 13 years. In 1988, he opened the doors to Rodney Hurt Insurance Services. They are a full-service independent insurance agency, which means they shop a network of trusted insurance providers on behalf of their clients to select the right policy for a price within their budget.
Rodney has been a valued member of the Odessa community and have served on many boards. He currently serves on the Rehab Center board. He has been a part of the Education Foundation, YMCA, Region 18 Service Center, Ector County Appraisal District, Odessa Rotary Club, and the Texas Health Insurers State Board. He received the Extra Mile Award from ECISD in 2001 and was honored as Rotarian of the Year in 2007.
Rodney enjoys fishing, golfing, traveling, boating, and chasing the grandkids. He is married to Deby and together they have three children and six grandchildren.
Business Hall of Fame - Ron Kirby
Ron Kirby is an Odessa transplant where he graduated from San Antonio Winston Churchill High School. He moved to Odessa in 1980 after he had graduated from the University of Texas-Arlington with a degree in Accounting.
Upon graduating, Roy went to work for one of the nationwide accounting firms, Arthur Young & Company then later worked for Mid West Electric. In 1986, Ron opened Ron Kirby, CPA. They offer a variety of services including all types of income tax, financial statement audits, reviews and compilations, general accounting and bookkeeping, quick books assistance and IRS audit representation.
Ron has continued to serve and help the Odessa community. He currently serves on the board for Head Start and has previously served on the board of Permian Basin Chapter CPA’s.
If you have ever seen Ron, you may have also noticed he always wears a Hawaiian shirt and may wonder why. Well ten years ago, Ron borrowed money to make a significant financial investment and told himself that as incentive to pay the debt off, he would wear a Hawaiian-style shirts to work every single day until it was paid off. In his free time, Ron enjoys collecting coins.
Ron is married to Cathy and together they have three children and three grandchildren.
Previous Entrepreneur of the Year Recipients
1988 – David Boutin
1989 – Dane Widner
1990 – James O. Reese
1991 – Bobby Cox
1992 – Bob Barnes
1993 – B.R. “Barnie” Jones
1994 – Clay Wood
1995 – Bill Massey
1996 – Wanda Jones
1997 – John Bushman
1998 – C. Richard “Dick” Sivalls
1999 – B.L. Crenshaw & Harvey Page
2000 – Fred D. George
2001 – Sam Holloman
2002 – Don Wood & Jack Wood
2003 – Dr. Sudhir P. Srivastava
2004 – C.R. “Dick” Saulsbury
2005 – Herbert Graham
2006 – Larry G. Lee
2007 – Frank Deaderick
2008 – Trina Moralez
2009 – Toby Eoff
2010 – Jane & Mark Knox
2011 – Larry Feeler
2012 – Collin Sewell
2013 – Scott Sibert
2014 – Les Littlejohn
2015 – Kirk Edwards
2016 – Austin Keith
2017 – Dr. Jayaram B. Naidu
2018 – Billy Bassett
2019 – Kevin Slater
Previous Business Hall of Fame Honorees
Gordon Allbright
Roy Allen
Arthur Ray Anderson
Lavon Anderson
Perry Anderson
Ed Barham
K. Barlow
Barney Barnett
Ronnie Lee Barnett
C. Bassett
Billy Bassett
Don Bennett
Oliver “Ollie” F. Blank
Shelby Bogan
Mac O. Boring, Jr.
Jim Breaux
Buz Browning
Terry Bryant
Don Bullock
John Bushman
Jim Butler
Charles L. Carlson
Robert L. Chappell
Raymond Chavez
Robert M. Chavez
John Cooper
Ann Crenshaw
Lisa Crenshaw
Paul Crump, Jr.
Murray A. “Drew” Crutcher
Frank Deaderick
Peggy Dean
Jerry Debenport
Paul B. Dobbs
Dubb Duff
Emery Eckel
Kirk Edwards
Bill Elms
Roy Elsner
Tommy Ervin
Robert Fair
Gary Felker
A.B. Finch
David Fitzgerald
Ronny Flowers
Vern Foreman
Mike Forrest
Lois Fowler
Nick Fowler
Nathan C. Galloway
Fred George
Richard “Dick” Gillham
Ben Glast
Robert J. Glast
James B. Goates
Rufina V. Gonzalez
Manuel E. Gonzalez, Jr
Orman Gorman
Herbert Graham
L. “Woody” Gregory
Balie L. Griffith
Gary N. Haner, P.E.
Bentley F. Hawley
Judy Hayes
Leldon Hensley
Daisy Bell Hester
Bill Hext
“Bro” Hill
Lionel “Tito” Hinojos
Ted Hogan
Daniel J. Hollmann
Sam Holloman
Josefina Hooker
Dan Huffman
Joe Hurt
Sajjadul Islam, M.D.
Herbert Itz
Herbert L. Johnson
Larry Johnson
Fred M.“Mickey” Jones
E. Jones
Bill Knighten
Mark Knox
Maxine Laird
John Landgraf
John Late
Lonnie Lawrence
D.W. Leach
Nelda Lee
Curtis Lewallen
Les Littlejohn
Kenneth & Jo Lunceford
Ben Mancha
Bill Massey
Norlene Ervin McBride
Tom McMinn
Larry L. Melton
Mark Merritt
Elizabeth T. “Liz” Midgley
Laura Willis-Myers
SC “Trey” Myers
Harold Moore
Trina Moralez
Ruth Morrison
Jayaram B. Naidu
D. “Bill” Noel
Alex “Buck” Ogilvy III
Mickey Olliff
Jesse Owens
Harvey Page
M.C. Parekh
Charles Perry
Efrain Ramirez
Bill F. Rea
Louis Rochester
Ted G. Roden
Tom “Pinkie” Roden
E. G. Rodman, Sr.
Sony Roethmeyer
R. “Dick” Saulsbury
W. “Woody” Sewell
Shafer
Ravi Shakamuri
John H. Sheets
Eddy Shelton
John Ben Shepperd
Scott Sibert
David Simpson
Richard “Dick” Sivalls
Monnie Sparkman
W.E. Stewart
Ray Stoker
Denise Swanner
Jack Tidwell
Jimmie Todd
Nalin Tolia
Virgil Trower
Craig Van Amburgh
Bessye Cowden Ward
Don Williams
Jane Williams
John Willis
Homer Windham
Mike Withrow
Clay Wood
Joe Young