Gene Widder Receives Top Honor

GREENVILLE, TX., Sept. 15, 2010 - Gene Widder, bookstore manager at Brazosport College, was recognized as Texas Book Company’s 2010 Store Manager of the Year at this year’s annual Manager’s Meeting, held at the Crowne Plaza in Dallas, Texas.  Gene is pictured receiving the top award from Brent Dyer, Texas Book Company President.

Born in East Canton, Ohio (pop. 1,600) in 1957, Gene was one of five siblings.  However, his parents opened their home, and raised five cousins and his father’s younger half-sister, and brother who was mentally disabled.  Although from a small town, his household was full of life with 14 family members.  Although crowded, Gene is grateful for the example set by his parents, and credits them with instilling an attitude of teamwork at a very early age.

Gene was a four year letterman in high school baseball, captain of the baseball team, and a two year letterman in basketball.  He earned his Associates Degree in Accounting from Stark State College.  While at Stark he was a two-year starter on the college’s first baseball team. 

After graduation Gene was hired as a staff accountant for Stark.  Gene began his bookstore career in 1979 at Stark when he was hired as their first bookstore manager.  His management success began his first semester on the job.  With no prior bookstore experience, and only 30 days before the start of fall classes, Gene and a student employee from Kent State got the store up and running, and made a profit that first year. 

Although land locked all of his young life, Gene always had a love for the sun and surf.  In 1995 he relocated from Ohio to Galveston, Texas.  Gene had visited Galveston while vacationing with his parents as a young teen and fell in love.  “I always said that if I ever left Ohio, it would be for a place like Galveston.  Who would have known at that time that I would actually move to Galveston”, Gene said.

His bookstore career has also provided personal bonus.  As an active participant in National Association of College Stores (NACS) he met his wife at a NACS annual meeting in 1994.  Gene’s wife, a very successful college bookstore manager at Texas A&M University at Galveston, is the current president of the Southwest College Bookstore Association.  Gene is very proud of his wife’s 25-year bookstore management success, and is quick to credit her with “many great ideas throughout the years, a valuable industry expert, and a wonderful sounding board.”

After relocating to Galveston, Gene accepted the position as manager of the University of St. Thomas Bookstore in Houston.  In 1999, he joined Texas Book Company as a regional manager, overseeing stores in Texas and Louisiana.  After four years of success as a regional manager he decided to get off the road so that he could spend more time with his two youngest children.  In 2003, Gene accepted the position as store manager at Brazosport College Bookstore in Lake Jackson, Texas, which gave him the opportunity to be home every night and continue to work in the business that he loves.

Gene, pictured here with his youngest daughter, Rachel, enjoys golfing, reading, sporting events, fishing, and the beach.  The ocean is one of the things that attracted Gene to Galveston, and a source of pleasure for him and his family.  However, in September 2008, Gene got a personal glimpse of how powerful and destructive the Gulf can become when Hurricane Ike hit Galveston.  Gene’s island home took on four feet of water and suffered extensive damage.  The island that Gene loved was all but destroyed, and life and business as he knew it was transformed by widespread flooding, destroyed homes and businesses, and power outages to nearly four million people.  Gene and his family evacuated to Bryan/College Station, Texas.  It took a month for water and electricity to be restored to his home, and his wife and children remained in Bryan for most of the fall semester.  Since Brazosport College escaped relatively free of damage, Gene made his way back to Lake Jackson; staying with friends for a couple of weeks and then in a motel for several weeks until he could get back to his home.  Gene’s wife worked in College Station, and his children attended school in Bryan, until they could return to Galveston in November.  Grateful to be left with a home that could be repaired, they spent months restoring their home.  Hundreds of Galveston residence lost their homes; washed away by the powerful storm surge.  Gene, recognized for his contagious smile and laughter, said in his typical positive style, “Although the experience was difficult for all of us, I think it brought us closer together.  The kids learned that no matter how difficult a situation may seem, they know they can get through it.”  This is a lesson Gene learned at an early age from his parents, and although the circumstances were difficult for his children, he is thankful for the benefits of the experience.

When asked to share his positive influences, Gene wholeheartedly reflected on his family and his father.  “I get my philosophy of life and business from my father mostly; my dad worked in the steel mill for over 30 years.  He was such a hard worker and I have tried to emulate that as much as possible, at work and at home.  I can still hear him saying, “If you’re going to do a job, make sure you do it right”!  He’s been gone for over 27 years, but his leadership still influences me.  Hopefully, I can leave a similar example for my children.  If so, then I will have accomplished what I was meant to do.”

A very busy dad, Gene has six children ranging in age from 10 – 33.  Gene’s love of sports and the beach are shared by his wife, and the two youngest children, Brandon, 15, a sophomore at the Ball High Preparatory Academy in Galveston; and Rachel, 10, a fifth grader at the Austin Magnet School in Galveston.  Here Gene is pictured with Jeff Bagwell at the Brazosport College Foundation Golf Tournament.  Gene says this is one of his favorite pictures because it combines two of his favorite things, baseball and golf.  Bagwell is a former Houston Astros, National League MVP, and Astros home run leader with over 400 home runs.

Upon receiving the Manager of the Year award Gene said, “I feel very fortunate to have worked for Texas Book Company for over 10 years.  Everyone in the company, from other store managers to the owner of the company, is always willing to help out.  It’s a great honor to receive the Manager of the Year award, especially when I consider how many talented and deserving managers we have at Texas Book Company.”

This is the second time for Gene to receive Manager of the Year; first in 2004 and now 2010.  Under Gene’s leadership Brazosport College Bookstore has received the President’s Club designation every year from 2004 – 2010, for financial and service achievement.

Congratulations to Gene Widder, Texas Book Company’s 2010 Store Manager of the Year.