Gene Collins has been a minister for the Highland and Bunche Church of Christ for 25 years, local Branch President of the Odessa NAACP for 28 years, and is the West Texas Area Coordinator for the Texas NAACP, Chairman of the Texas NAACP Environmental Justice Committee, Chairman of the Texas Emergency Response Committee, and Chairman of the Texas Religious Affairs Committee. In addition, Gene has served in the American Red Cross and has led national relief efforts during hurricanes, tornados, floods, wildfires and industrial explosions. He is the state president of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats and serves on the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC).
Gene is a local businessman and serves on numerous boards in Odessa, and in 1991, Gene was part of the community challenging Dynagen Corporation resulting in a settlement of over $7 million, the largest fine imposed against a company in the history of the Texas Clean Air Act.
He later took on Huntsman for environmental infractions resulting in a settlement of over $4 million for the community.
After years of volunteering his time to expose oil and gas pollution in the Permian Basin, Gene joined Earthworks’ Board in 2020.