Earls wins distinguished service award

Odessa American, Texas
·2 min read

Jul. 18—The head of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce has been lauded in the past for her service to her hometown. Now, Renee' Henderson Earls has been honored for her service to the state's chamber of commerce profession.

The chamber's president/executive director was awarded the Arthur A. Robert Distinguished Service Award during the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives annual conference in Galveston.

"TCCE's main focus is being the leader in professional development for chamber staff across Texas. Under Renee's leadership, as the vice chair of professional development, TCCE saw one of our most successful years," said Jim Johnson, the 2023 TCCE board chairman who presented Earls the award during the conference late last month.

"Renee' hosted our annual conference which exceeded budgetary and attendance expectations while showing Odessa to nearly 200 chamber professionals."

Johnson added that Earls led three separate sub-committees which planned training for new chamber staff as well as seasoned professionals from throughout the state.

"It was because of her excellent leadership that the organization had one of its best years ever," he said.

Named in honor of long-time Texas chamber professional and TCCE executive director, the TCCE Arthur A. Roberts award is presented annually by the TCCE chairman to an individual for exemplary service and exceptional contributions to the TCCE and the chamber of commerce profession.

An Odessa native with an extensive history of community involvement, Earls has headed the local chamber since 2016. She currently serves as the TCCE's vice chair of governmental relations and serves as a board member for the Texas Association of Business.

"Renee' Earls is a community first business leader who brought all of Texas to learn about the best of Odessa and the Permian at the 2023 Annual Conference," said Drew Scheberle, TCCE executive director and senior adviser. "She's driven, smart and focused on improving the bottom line for her members and the quality of life in her community."

During the annual conference last month, the Odessa chamber also won first place in the TCCE Media Awards competition in the category of Print & Electronic. The chamber submitted their Legislative Priorities publication.