Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, is the youngest of four brothers, was born in 1955 in Gladewater, Texas, a small town in the eastern part of the state. His father worked for Sun Oil, starting as a ditch digger and gauger and later becoming a field clerk. Warren’s father only had a high school education, but Warren admired the life he was able to build for himself. Warren describes his father as a kind and contented man who enjoyed spending time with friends and attending high school football games. He was a remarkable person, always speaking kindly and never using profanity or speaking ill of others.
Warren’s mother, who had a background in Louisiana and didn’t finish her last year of high school, placed a significant emphasis on the importance of education for her sons. Despite her educational limitations, she instilled in her children the value of completing high school and pursuing higher education. As Kelcy Warren states, she emphasized this message from a very early age. Warren’s older brother was the first in their family to attend college, which was a source of pride for the family. It highlights Warren’s mother’s dedication to providing her sons with better opportunities in life, and it also shows the importance of education in breaking the cycle of poverty and the lack of options in the family.
Kelcy Warren had a positive experience growing up in his small hometown, where he felt he knew everyone. The Baptist church played a significant role in his family life, with his family attending church twice on Sundays. Warren’s family was also involved in the Boy Scouts, with his mother serving as his den leader when he was young and his father serving as his Scoutmaster. Additionally, his father served as president of the school board, and his mother was president of the PTA when Warren was in high school. Warren felt fortunate to have loving and involved parents and recognized it as an advantage he had over others.
Kelcy Warren’s family frequently struggled with financial insecurity, leading his parents to seek additional income sources. One of their endeavors was establishing a trailer park, which helped supplement their earnings. Additionally, Warren’s father took on a job delivering newspapers early in the morning, which he found peaceful despite the early hours. Warren often had to assist him with the deliveries. See this article for more information.
More about Warren on https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/kelcy-l-warren/