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Joan S. Pierson
Joan S. Pierson
Nearly 600 attendees celebrated the 2023 Torch Awards for Ethics at the Beaumont Civic Center on June 8, celebrating the event’s 25th anniversary and marking the milestone as one of the most successful BBB Serving Southeast Texas fundraisers for the BBB Consumer Education Foundation and its scholarship program to date.
“The 25th Torch Awards program was a monumental event for our Consumer Education Foundation,” said BBB President/CEO Darren Erwin. “The event proved to be a tremendous success due to the hard work and generous efforts of our sponsors, volunteers, judges, attendees, torch committee, and dedicated staff members.”
The 2023 BBB Southeast Texas Torch Awards for Ethics Winners are Large Business: Bill Clark Pest Control, Inc.; Medium Business: 5 Under Golf Center; Small Business: The Daws Law Firm, PLLC; Micro Small Business: Triangle Real Estate, LLC; and Spark: Katherena Hoffman, Kat’s Korner, LLC.
Additional recognition featured the inaugural group of “Leaders of Industry,” named in Chad Anderson, Global CTO/Head of Manufacturing for Indorama Ventures; Mike Mustian, Beaumont Complex Manager for ExxonMobil; Mark Skobel, vice-president and general manager of the Valero Port Arthur Refinery; and Randy Sonnier, manager of Industrial Purchasing for TotalEnergies. The evening has highlighted by the announcement of two “John L. Bell Jr. Friend of the BBB” honorees: Andrew and Martin Edwards, in memory of Lum Edwards Jr. and Lum Edwards III, and Joan S. Pierson.
Proceeds from the event contribute to the BBB Education Foundation to fund the Student of Integrity Scholarships and expanding Foundation programming. Recipients of 2023’s Student of Integrity Scholarships invited to attend the event were celebrated in Weston Brooks, Hardin-Jefferson High; Presley Clark, Deweyville High; Paige Duke, Hamshire-Fannett High; Averie McFarland, Lumberton High; Christian Songe, Vidor High; and Olivia Zeig, Port Neches-Groves High.