The 118th Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet, sponsored by Kohler, took at the Brownwood Coliseum Thursday evening, where David A. “Tony” Krischke was honored with the Groner Pitts Lifetime of Service Award.
A lifelong resident of Brownwood whose family roots in Brown County trace back to the late 1800s, Krischke has been involved in the community personally and professionally for the better part of 50 years.
Tony is a Certified Public Accountant and has been in public accounting for 49 ½ years, the vast majority of which have been spent serving the businesses, organizations, and individuals of Brownwood. Professionally he has served many of the institutions of Brownwood, including Howard Payne University, numerous nonprofit organizations, and even the City of Brownwood itself, as well as many of the businesses and business owners that have made Brownwood a great place to be.
In the time of his long career, he has served as President of the United Way, the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce, the Brownwood Industrial Foundation, and the Boy Scouts of America Comanche Trail Council. He has additionally served on the boards of many nonprofits and community organizations over the years.
Of all the boards and organizations he served during those years, he most enjoyed serving as a Cubmaster and Scoutmaster for Pack 14 and Troop 14 of the Boy Scouts of America – teaching, mentoring, and being involved in the lives of a generation of young men in Brownwood, including his two sons, who he saw awarded the Eagle Scout award with 9 other young men simultaneously. For his service to the Boy Scouts of America, he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, the highest award given to a volunteer in Scouting. It is perhaps his most treasured accomplishment.
Personally, he was married faithfully to the love of his life, Debbie Krischke, for 47 years before her passing in 2023. He and Debbie raised three children – John, Matt, and Hannah, all who have followed in his footsteps in various ways being involved in our community. He now enjoys his time with his grown children and his 11 grandchildren.
He has served as a teacher for 50 years and a Deacon for 40 years at Austin Avenue Church of Christ, and has found his passion in ministering to the inmates at the Brown County Jail, a ministry he has been involved in for the last two decades and will continue in the years to come. He once said of all the things he may be remembered for, it was most important to him to be remembered for “stepping out of my comfort zone, learning not to judge others, but to love them and bring them to know Jesus”.
Tony is retiring from professional life after half a century of service to spend more time sharing his wisdom with his grandchildren, traveling the country, and exploring his love of history.
Other honorees Thursday night included:
Man of the Year – Dr. Tom Byrd
Dr. Tom Byrd a native of Brown County and attend public school in Killeen, Texas. After high school, Dr. Byrd went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and furthered his education with a Doctoral Degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. After Medical School Dr. Byrd completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, where he also completed clinical research. Dr. Byrd has served in many capacities and been a led with a true servants heart since his return to Brownwood. Upon his return, he has been practicing medicine in Brown County since 1995, both in Private Practice and as a hospitalist where he also served as the director of hospital medicine at Brownwood Regional Medical Center. Currently Dr. Byrd serves as a provider at AccelHealth and as the Director of the Brownwood Health Department. Outside of his career, Dr. Byrd has been very active in our community, where his true passion for serving really shines. Dr. Byrd has served in numerous capacities with the Health Department, our local Latch Key, the Baptist Encampment, Medical Missions in Burundi Africa, and Cried of a Child Ministry. The later is perhaps the biggest show of Dr. Byrd’s commitment to the public. Dr. Byrd holds a Master’s Certificate in Global Health, and has been involved in clinic development in Burundi (Africa), where he serves a clinical consultant for the Cornerstone Clinic for The Cries of a Child.
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Woman of the Year – Jessie Hamilton
Jessie Hamilton grew up in Pecos, Texas and married her high school sweetheart in June 1963. They celebrate their 61st anniversary this week. Jessie attended Draughons Business School in Lubbock, Texas, before becoming a stay-at-home mother to three daughters.
The family relocated to Brownwood in July 1979 and were introduced to the community through a 4th of July Fish Fry, where they discovered their new neighbors were part of the Brownwood community. They promptly joined the First Baptist Church to continue their faith journey. Engaging in community activities, she joined various organizations like the Bridge Club, volunteered at schools, and participated in groups like Friends of Rotary Club, Brownwood Beautification, Women’s Club, Brownwood Garden Club, Red Cross, and Girl Scouts.
As her daughters entered college, she began working part-time at Pat’s & Gene’s, a women’s boutique established in 1964, eventually purchasing the business in 1994 housed in the original Lyric Theater built in 1913. Through collaboration with the Texas Historical Commission, she was appointed to the Board of the Texas Downtown Association. She acquired the Bettis Gibbs building, overseeing its renovation into Hamilton’s, a downtown establishment. Recognized by the Texas Historical Commission for her work on the Bettis & Gibbs building, she envisioned restoring the old Lyric Theater. Actively involved in planning and executing the Brownwood Reunion Celebration, she represented the business community on the Master Plan Committee for the City of Brownwood. A member of Downtown Brownwood, Inc. for three decades, she has received the Women of Distinction award from the Girl Scouts and the Groner Pitts Lifetime of Service Award from the Chamber of Commerce.
With over 40 years of community engagement, Hamilton’s Boutique will soon mark 60 years of serving the Brownwood community. The Hamilton family now boasts ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way.
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Professional of the Year – Gene Russell
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Community Partner of the Year – Center for Life Resources
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Large Business of the Year – Chick-fil-A
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Medium Business of the Year –Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
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Small Business of the Year – Grazed and Confused
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Volunteer of the Year – Justin Seale
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Stuart Coleman Good Neighbor Award – Melinda Hines
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Stuart Coleman Good Neighbor Award – Stacy Walker (not present)
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Stuart Coleman Good Neighbor Award – Mona Pitts
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Ambassador of the Year – Christi Wynn
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Board Member of the Year – Dee Dee Lee
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New Chamber Executive Director Otis Felton
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Master of Ceremonies Councilman Draco Miller Jr.
