Sul Ross State University announced Morris Libson, Jr. will serve as the commencement speaker for the ceremony scheduled for May 20 at the International Center for Trade in Eagle Pass.

A native of Eagle Pass and a third-generation American citizen, Libson is the son of Mauricio Libson and Consuelo Valdes of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, and the grandson of Salomon Libson, a Russian Jew and the first Libson to immigrate to the USA in 1915.

He graduated from Eagle Pass High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and then a Master of Business Administration from Sul Ross State University. He said he considers his MBA a significant part of his professional education as it complemented the technical knowledge from his engineering degree. He added that his MBA has been instrumental in his business management, leading to success in various commercial endeavors.

Libson maintains business interests on both sides of the border. He is the president and chief executive officer of Compañia de Gas (Conagas), the natural gas distribution company founded by his grandfather and partners in 1934. He also serves as vice president and is a part owner of Nosbil, Inc. and Texas State Natural Gas in Eagle Pass. He, wife Dora Elia, and their three children, Morris III, Veronika Lizzette, and Nikolas Salomon, run their own company, MVN Enterprises LLC in Eagle Pass.

The entrepreneur also devotes his time to community service in Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras. He has been named Citizen of the Year by the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce, served as president of both the Piedras Negras Chamber of Commerce and the Piedras Negras Industrial Chamber, Canacintra. He is the president of the Eagle Pass Babe Ruth Baseball League and provides color commentary and analysis for the Eagle Pass sports radio broadcasts for high school football and baseball. He considers the time he spent developing players into true citizens who display modesty and respect to be his greatest accomplishment. He takes pleasure in seeing former players return to dedicate time to community youth.

Libson currently serves as the chairman of the Eagle Pass Maverick County Economic Development Alliance, which is committed to supporting the addition of a four-year university campus.

“Morris Libson is an outstanding community leader who has, for decades, championed increasing higher education opportunities for the residents of Eagle Pass, Maverick County, and the Middle Rio Grande,” said Dr. Bernardo Canteñs, SRSU executive vice president and provost. “His dream became a reality when Texas State University System and Sul Ross State University decided to invest $30 million in a new multicomplex educational facility on 100 acres in Eagle Pass as the first step toward a comprehensive, four-year university.”