Joe Batson: Nearly Half a Century of Involvement in the Texas Panhandle Business Community

Joe Batson serves as President of Coldwater Cattle Company near Amarillo in the Texas panhandle. He has been engaged in the ranching and oil and gas operation since the 1960s. Certified to fly fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, he gained distinction by “soloing” a helicopter at a young age and served as Chief Pilot in the family business prior to taking an executive position.

Mr.Batson studied at the University of Texas at Austin from 1965 to 1971. He took a break from his studies in 1967 to serve as an Advance Field Director with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s re-election team. He worked directly with the White House, coordinating campaign strategy and undertaking trustee responsibilities for President Johnson’s grandchildren. He notably represented the State of Texas as 31st District Committeeman to the Democratic National Convention.

Joe Batson earned his B.A. in Communication and Radio-Television-Film in 1971, notably assisting photographer Bill Rhew with a DeKalb Film Series project. He renewed his involvement in media production in 1981 as Officer with Berneta Communications in Amarillo, a film company named after his grandmother. The firm earned four gold and five silver Mitch Wilder Awards from the Texas Association of Museums and took first place in a national competition for its design and production of a United Way film.

Maintaining his close connection with the Johnson family over the decades, Mr. Batson notably designed and produced “She Did It Her Way” in honor of Luci Baines Johnson. He also assisted Ms. Johnson in organizing a large-scale fundraising project on behalf of the Diocese of Austin. Joe Batson is a founding board member of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and maintains a lifetime affiliation with the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation.