| William E. Greehey | |
| Birth Name: | William Eugene Greehey |
| Birth Date: | 9 June 1936 |
| Birth Place: | Fort Dodge, Iowa, US |
| Alma Mater: | St. Mary's University (BA) |
| Occupation: | Businessman & Philanthropist |
| CEO Valero Energy 1980 to January 1, 2006 Chairman Valero Energy 1980 to January 17, 2007 Chairman NuStar Energy | |
| Boards: | Haven For HopeValero EnergyNuStar EnergyValero Alamo BowlValero Texas Open |
| Children: | 5 |
William Eugene "Bill" Greehey (born June 9, 1936, in Fort Dodge, Iowa)[1] is an American businessman and philanthropist.[2] He is most known for his roles as the founding CEO and Chairman of Valero Energy Corporation and NuStar Energy.[3]
Bill Greehey was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 1954.[4] [5] He then served with the US Air Force for four years and was based at Lackland AFB, in San Antonio, Texas.[1] [6] [7] Following his Air Force career, he used his GI Bill benefits to enroll in St. Mary's University at San Antonio, and later received a Bachelor's degree in Accounting.[1]
After graduation in 1960, he started working as a CPA for Price Waterhouse and later became an auditor for Exxon.[1] [7] In 1963, he joined Coastal States Gas Corporation. By 1968 at the age of 32, he held the post of a senior vice president.[1] In 1973, he was President and CEO of Coastal Corporation's subsidiary LoVaca Gathering Company which on December 31, 1979, became the Valero Energy Corporation.[8] [9] He was the founding CEO and Chairman of the Valero Energy Corporation and Group and held those posts until January 2006 and January 2007, respectively.[8] In 2006, he was the founding Chairman of NuStar Energy L.P. and Group.[10] [11] As a philanthropist, he founded the William Greehey Family Foundation in April 2003.[12]
In March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading, his Greehey Foundation pledged financial support for those in need of relief.[13]
Greehey has been married to Louree née Bruce Greehey for over sixty years and they have five children.[7] [11] Along with his five children, he has 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all of whom he shares with his wife Louree. Bill, and Louree are Republicans and are closely associated with the Nustar PAC.[14] [15] [16] He serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, which named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 1986 and granted him an honorary doctorate of philosophy in 1998.[11] At St. Mary's University, the Bill Greehey Arena and the Greehey School of Business were named in his honor in 2000 and 2005, respectively.[11] [17] [18] The Bill Greehey Refineries in Corpus Christi is named in his honor.[19]
In 1998, Mr. Greehey was presented with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the San Antonio Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives; and he was inducted into the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement.[11]
In 2000, Greehey received the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award.[20]
In 2001, Greehey received the distinguished Horatio Alger Award.[9]