PORT NECHES — Joe V. Tortorice Jr., founder and CEO of Jason’s Deli, had some words of wisdom to give to patrons at the Port Neches Chamber of Commerce’s 75^th Annual Banquet on Thursday.

A Beaumont native and successful restaurateur, Tortorice drew inspiration from different sources. There is David Glass, retired CEO of Walmart, who tells of servant leadership and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning in which he chronicles life as a concentration camp prisoner and the importance of finding meaning in all forms of existence.

“When asked how he (Frankl) survived he said he ‘took ownership,” Tortorice told the crowd of more than 120 people.

Servant leadership involves setting a vision and encouraging others and remaining humble.

“The concept of IQ, intelligence quotient, shows how smart you are. Then there’s the concept of EQ, emotional quotient. This ensures how you relate to other people, manage your emotions and reach out to others,” he said, adding a survey showed EQ as a trait amongst top businesses in Fortune 500.

Tortorice spoke of empathy as well and how his company has a ‘fishing program school.’ The program is based on providing training for unskilled employees to climb the ladder ad become skilled. It is based on the phrase, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime.

Also during the event, Port Neches Police Chief Paul Lemoine bid farewell to his year as 2015 president of the chamber while welcoming 2016 as he takes another turn at the position.

The executive chamber board consists of Lemoine, president; Brian Swindel, president elect; Shane Reedy, vice-president/treasurer; Stefanie Wolfford, past president; and Debbie Plaia, executive director/secretary.

Local business owner Chris Johnson, whose business distributed free flags during the Fourth of July and has worked with the Little White Cross movement in the city received the first ever Community Enhancement Award.

Johnson was also named as small business person of the year as well.

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