Averetts named LSUS Pilots of the Year 09/05/02

Joe and Abby Averett were honored Thursday evening as 2002 LSUS Pilots of the Year at the university’s annual RiverBend Revue.

The Averetts serve a number of community and social organizations including the LSUS Foundation, Sci-Port Discovery Center, Caddo Public Education Foundation, Alliance for Education and First United Methodist Church of Shreveport.

Their children, Amy Averett and Julie Averett Duggan, have been successful in their college careers at Texas A&M University. Amy also completed her MBA at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The contributions of Joe and Abby to the community are a compliment to their parents and a fine example for their children. The university appreciates everything they have done and highlights the following endeavors:

Joe is an LSUS Foundation Board member. With Abby’s support, Joe served as President from 1998 to 2000, during the first major fundraising campaign in the university’s history. It raised $2.2 million in contributions and pledges to exceed the original goal of $1 million. In addition, Joe was instrumental in facilitating the donation of the Crystal Gas Storage Building (valued at $2.1 million) to LSUS, and in the establishment of two $100,000 endowed professorships in the name of Crystal Gas Storage, one each in the Colleges of Business Administration and Education.

Joe also serves on the LSUS College of Business Administration Board of Visitors and the KDAQ Red River Radio Network Advisory Board.

Both Joe and Abby enjoy traveling, reading, boating and some form of racketing – Abby prefers tennis, while Joe is nationally ranked in badminton.

Joe is the current President of Crystal Gas Storage, Inc., and has held this position since 1985. Prior to joining Crystal, Joe worked 10 years for Pennzoil Company in various finance-related positions, serving as Treasurer and Chief Financing Officer the last two years. From 1977 to 1978, he took a leave of absence from Pennzoil to serve in the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of the Secretary, as a Presidential Executive in Washington, D.C.

The former Abby Shuey is a Shreveport native, member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, past director of the Girl Scouts Pelican Council, mini-grant reader for the Caddo Public Education Foundation, member of the USTA and active in league play, member of the Indoor Racket Club, and volunteer for the Shreveport Open Charity Golf Tournaments.