Grady Gaubert Named 2025 Distinguished Service Award Recipient by Energy Marketers of America

Thursday, May 29, 2025 – Washington, D.C. – The Energy Marketers of America (EMA) proudly announces that Grady Gaubert, past EMA Chairman, TFFA member, and a widely respected leader in the energy distribution industry, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award (DSA)—EMA’s highest individual honor.

The selection committee for this prestigious award included:

• Matthew Greene, Lindsay Oil Company, Seneca, SC (DSA Chair)
• Tim Gross, Executive Director, Fueling Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (State Executive)
• Gerry Ramm, Past DSA Recipient
• Jason Mirabito, Mirabito Energy, Binghamton, NY (Committee Chair)
• Brad Bell, Connell Oil, Pasco, WA (Past EMA Chair)
• Jim Lipscomb, Lipscomb Oil Company, Greenville, MS (Current EMA Chairman)

Grady Gaubert, President of Gaubert Oil Company, is recognized as the embodiment of entrepreneurial drive and industry service. Based in southern Louisiana, Gaubert Oil has grown under Grady’s leadership into a vertically integrated operation that spans wholesale fuel distribution, convenience retailing, marine support services, and more. The company operates four bulk plants and distributes major branded fuels, lubricants, chemicals, and industrial products across Louisiana and Mississippi.

Its retail division includes 22 convenience stores, 6 of which are full-service truck stops with gaming operations. The company’s portfolio also includes a supermarket, five Polar Bear Daiquiri liquor stores, and national foodservice franchises including Subway, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Huddle House, and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. The company maintains a transport fleet of 35 trucks, and its marine division supports inland drilling and dredging operations via two tugs and two barges based in Houma, Louisiana.

Grady’s influence extends well beyond his business. He is a past president of the Louisiana Oil Marketers and Convenience Store Association, former South Central Region Chair of the national organization, and led the then-PMAA as national chairman. He has served on boards including the Chevron-Texaco Petroleum Marketers Association, NFIB, Council for a Better Louisiana, LABI, Bayou Industrial Group, and Southeastern Oil Jobbers Co-Op.

One of his most pivotal national contributions came in 2015 when he chaired the PMAA now called EMA search committee that successfully recruited EMA’s current president, Rob Underwood, marking a new era of industry leadership.

“Grady’s deep knowledge of upstream and downstream operations gave him a unique perspective as EMA Chairman,” said Underwood. “His company sits at the intersection of the Gulf’s energy infrastructure. His insights and experience have been invaluable to our organization.”

Reflecting on the honor, Grady remarked:

“Working through EMA’s leadership ranks has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career. The relationships, the insights, the ability to shape policy—it’s been an experience where I gained as much as I gave. EMA represents the very best in our industry, and it’s been a privilege to serve alongside so many outstanding individuals working to move our sector forward.”

Grady and his wife Kathy have been married for 38 years this fall. They have two children—Michelle and Gregory, the latter of whom is now actively involved in the family business—and two grandchildren, with two more on the way.

The 2025 EMA Distinguished Service Award is a fitting tribute to a career defined by integrity, innovation, and enduring service to the energy marketing industry.