Leadership Odessa Graduation Class of 2025 2026
Odessa, Texas/May 26, 2026-The Odessa Chamber of Commerce celebrated the graduation of the 47th Leadership Odessa class, marking another milestone for the longest-running leadership development program in the State of Texas. Leadership Odessa honored members of the 2025-2026 class during a special dinner and graduation ceremony, recognizing their commitment to professional growth, community engagement, and civic leadership.
(Jeff Meyers, Chairman-Odessa Chamber of Commerce/Odessa, Texas)
“It’s extremely important. Another way to give our members an opportunity to to number one, learn more about the community, uh, get to meet and network with some amazing folks. And then, um, also just to find another way to give back to the community as well.”
Throughout the year, participants gained firsthand knowledge of key industries, organizations, and issues affecting the community while developing leadership skills designed to help shape the future of Odessa and the Permian Basin.
(Hannah Gore, Leadership Odessa Class of 2025-2026/Odessa Chamber of Commerce)
“I grew up here, born and raised here, and all my family is from here too. And so I thought I knew everything before I went through this. And that was definitely wrong. One of my favorite days was, um, when we went to the police academy and the fire department and met all of the fire department. And then we also got to go out to, um, the canine training center. And that was really, really cool. So.”
(Brysa Hinojosa, Leadership Odessa Class of 2025-2026/Odessa Chamber of Commerce)
“It was a great experience overall. I got to meet a lot of people I never even knew I would ever meet in my life. We’ve made a lot of connections with each other. Um, just as far as I think the class we had all together was great. Everybody connected very well. We can joke around with each other, we could have serious moments, but it’s also a class that I know anytime we need someone, they’ll always be there.”
Dr. Brian Thomas Jones, keynote speaker for the Leadership Odessa graduation ceremony, reflected on his experiences as a Leadership Odessa alumnus and the impact the program had on his personal and professional development. He encouraged graduates to remain engaged in the community, use the knowledge and connections they have gained, and continue seeking opportunities to make a positive difference in Odessa.
(Dr. Brian Thomas Jones, Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness/Odessa College)
“Why would anyone leave Odessa? We’ve got a lot of great opportunities. Leadership Odessa is one opportunity, but we do have quite a bit within our education sectors. We have across Odessa, our health care industries. We’re looking for quality people that could really make an impact, not just today, but also for future generations as well.”
To Find out more about the Leadership Odessa Program contact the Odessa Chamber of Commerce.
For DRB Media Communications Digital News, Danny Barrera.
