Big Brothers BIg Sisters Lone Star Names Jim Wales New Board Chair

Online, June 18, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star executive board of directors today announced the election of long-time board member Jim Wales as Chair, effective May 20, 2013.

Jim has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Most recently he co-founded TEAK Midstream LLC in October of 2009 which was sold to Atlas Pipeline earlier this month. He was also part of the management team that founded Crosstex Energy Services and helped grow the company into a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded energy services company. While at Crosstex, Jim managed several divisions of the company and was accountable for the P&L of each. He led the business development group as well as Crosstex's Southern Division (transmission, gathering and processing throughout South and North Texas). He was also head of the Commercial Division for the company. He retired from Crosstex in 2007.


Prior to Crosstex, Jim was one of the founders of Sunrise Energy Services, Inc. He helped build Sunrise from a start-up to one of the largest national independent publicly traded natural gas marketing companies in the U.S. Wales started his career in 1976 as an engineer with Union Carbide. In 1981 he joined Producers Gas Company, a subsidiary of Lear Petroleum, where he served as manager of their Mid-Continent office. In 1986 he joined Sunrise as Executive Vice President of supply, marketing and transportation. From 1993 to 1994, Wales was the Chief Operating Officer for Triumph Natural Gas, Inc. During this period he also served as the Chairman of the National Energy Services Association. Wales holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Law Degree from the South Texas College of Law. Jim's wife Lori is the lacrosse coach at Ursuline Acadamy. His oldest daughter Alex is a SMU Law graduate and his youngest daughter Kelsey is an undergraduate student at TCU.

Jim has served as an Executive Board Member for Big Brothers Big Sisters for over five years, during which time, the organization grew dramatically to become the world's largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency, taking on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star name after merging with community agencies in Northeast Texas (Paris), West Central Texas (Abilene, Brownwood and San Angelo) and Greater Houston. The agency also expanded to previously unserved areas such as Waco, Waxahachie, Wichita Falls, Stephenville and Jack County.

"I am humbled, honored, and very excited to continue to serve an organization I am so extremely passionate about", stated Wales. "I know from my own experience as a Big Brother the positive impact adult role models can have on children in our community, but perhaps more importantly the gift we as volunteers receive from giving these kids our time."

"Jim is a fantastic Board Member and I am so glad to see him in a Leadership capacity on our Executive Board" said Rob Roby, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star. "He will make sure that we continue to reach the next generation of young people who need an extra push to help them reach their potential."

About Big Brothers Big Sisters and Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring organization, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children ("Littles") with screened volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Summary, released in 2012, substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness.

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization's 85-year history. Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star serves more than 30,000 children, volunteers and families through 20 offices and more than 100 counties in Texas. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life - donate or volunteer at bbbstx.org.