Breakfast With the Boss is a Member’s Only event. If you are not a YPO member and would like to attend this event, please join YPO!
Earl White was born and raised in Beaumont alongside two brothers (one his twin), and three sisters. He enjoys baseball, as well as fishing and hunting, but his mother and father instilled in him a sense of personal responsibility, love, and disciplined him, and stressed the value of hard work and education.
A 1979 graduate of Beaumont ISD’s French High School, his first job was as a general laborer at Gateway Shopping Center. A music scholarship took him to Houston’s Texas Southern University in 1979 but came back to attend Lamar University’s Fire Academy 10-week program, graduating in the fall of 1980 and beginning a career of public service. Ultimately, due to job responsibilities as an Arson Investigator with the Fire Department, he also graduated from the Lamar University Police Academy in 1991 with the honor of Valedictorian.
Earl served the citizens of this city for thirty-five years as a fire captain in the Fire Prevention Division before retiring from Beaumont Fire-Rescue. After retirement Earl campaigned and won the elected position as Jefferson County Precinct I Constable in 2016. He says community service is so important to him because he wants to make this a community everyone can be proud to live and work in.
After serving two and half years as Jefferson County Precinct I Constable Earl was chosen from more than eighty applicants to interview for the position and later out of thirteen candidates interviewed, Earl was appointed by the City Manager as the candidate recommended as the next Fire Chief to lead the Beaumont Fire/Rescue. Earl shares, “It’s a position of destiny, and a position of purpose.” He states, “I enjoyed a wonderful career with the Beaumont Fire Department, and “I want every young man and woman to enjoy as great a career as I’ve had.”
Earl credits his success with good mentorship and understanding that it’s important to practice your craft. His ability to communicate is the greatest strength he brings to position. “The city made an investment in me, now I’m going to make an investment in the city,” “I want the entire community to understand, we’re going to build a department that the personnel of the department can be proud of therefore, make our city PROUD.” Earl’s personal statement to young women and men who chose public service is, “You chose public service, public service did not choose you.” Chief White’s desire is to be the best fire chief, building trust through service. Earl would like to be remembered as an honest man whose word is his bond.
Married for 33 years to Marilyn Pace-White, their son Randall E. White attended Beaumont ISD schools before going on to graduate from Prairie View A & M University. He and his family are members of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, Port Arthur, Texas.
Civic Involvement, Charities, Boards- Current Executive Board Member Garth House-Past President and Vice President, Member NAACP, Current Board President of Beaumont Community Credit Union, Former Board Member Local American Red Cross, member of the Beaumont YMBL and !00 Black Men of Greater Beaumont.