Photo credit: Permian Basin Petroleum Association

What happened: The Permian Basin Petroleum Association (PBPA) awarded its annual Top Hand Award to Travis Stice, executive chairman of Diamondback Energy, during a ceremony at the Petroleum Club on Thursday, Jan. 29. Industry and community leaders in attendance highlighted how Stice’s contributions, both individually and through Diamondback Energy, have significantly benefited Midland and helped shape its future.

Why it matters: Each year, PBPA presents the Top Hand Award to recognize contributions to the Permian Basin oil and gas industry and the surrounding community. Past recipients include Don Evans, Tom Craddick, Javid Anwar, Tim Leach, Don Sparks, and Dennis Johnson, who all gathered to congratulate Stice.

The big picture: A native Midlander and third-generation oilman, Stice graduated from Texas A&M in 1985 with a petroleum engineering degree. He entered the workforce during the 1980s oil crash, but still landed a job as an operations engineer with Mobil. He later held roles at Burlington Resources, ConocoPhillips, Laredo Petroleum, and Apache Corp before joining Diamondback in 2011.

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As CEO from 2012 to 2025, board chairman from 2022 to 2025, and executive chairman since May 2025, Stice helped transform Diamondback from a private equity-backed company into one of the Permian Basin’s largest operators.

During the ceremony, Stice described joining Diamondback when the company was financially strained, with a fully drawn bank line and drilling commitments. After restructuring and completing its 2012 IPO, the company struggled to meet production targets in 2013. They turned to an aggressive wildcat strategy, drilling horizontal wells in the Northern Midland Basin.

Stice said that experience helped propel Diamondback forward and set the foundation for the company’s culture of resilience, reflected in the company’s unofficial motto: “Stay hungry. Stay humble.”

Go deeper: Beyond industry success, Stice has had a significant impact on Midland through Diamondback’s philanthropy and his personal giving. During the ceremony, he told a story about Diamondback’s investors rejecting his proposal to make charitable donations and telling him to drill more wells. Stice said he took that as an opportunity to put himself in a position to give back in a meaningful way.

Diamondback and its leadership have supported the Basin Dream Center, Bush Tennis Center, Manor Park, Opportunity Tribe, Rope Youth, Safe Places, Senior Life Midland, Midland College’s Texas A&M Engineering Academy, and the Midland Athletic Syndicate.

He credited his wife, Brenda, as the heart of the family’s giving strategy, focusing support on Midland residents facing the greatest need. He said Midland is a special place to live and that giving alongside others in the community is a privilege. Stice also spoke about personal hardship following the loss of his son Matt in 2024, crediting faith as a foundation that has carried his family through life and loss.

What they’re saying: Diamondback CEO Kaes Van’t Hof, Permian Strategic Partnership Chairman Jack Harper, Scharbauer Foundation CEO Grant Billingsley, and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans spoke about Stice’s leadership and community impact.

Van’t Hof said Stice frequently emphasized, “Do your best. Do the right thing. And treat others as you want to be treated.” Diamondback COO Danny Wesson said, “You can’t talk about the people and culture at Diamondback without Travis.” Local high school students also gave tribute by sharing experiences with Stice through Diamondback-supported school programs.

What’s next: Stice said he plans to step down as Chairman of the Board, but will continue to live in Midland and remain involved in the community. With a lasting mark on the Permian Basin, the Top Hand Award reflects only part of Stice’s impact on Midland.