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Marsha B. Hendler (’73)

President & CEO
TerraFina Energy, LLC

Current Treasurer of Eric's Club
Lectured November 10, 2016

Marsha Hendler is the president and CEO of TerraFina Energy, LLC, an oil and natural gas producer with home offices in San Antonio. She is also a licensed, P5 oil operator with the Railroad Commission of Texas. Marsha is responsible for securing drilling rights, managing the drilling and completion process and daily production of the wells, as well as handling all regulatory and reporting responsibilities with the Railroad Commission. 

Her mission is to build the largest woman-owned independent oil company in Texas and to encourage women to become independent oil operators.

Prior to TerraFina, Marsha established Marketing Plus, a full-service marketing and advertising agency. The 21-year-old firm remains a thriving enterprise and continues to conduct regional and national marketing campaigns. Among the agency’s clients is a South Texas oilfield service company that led her to the oil patch in 2008 and inspired her to become an oil operator. 

Marsha has also served as vice president of marketing for several independent hotel groups, including Balman Properties, La Mansion Hotels and Outrigger Lodging Services. Her ability to take a sales organization and mold it into a top-tier sales operation established her reputation within the industry as a “turnaround artist.” 

A 1973 graduate of the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Marsha is often described as a “serial entrepreneur” who took full advantage of her hospitality career to build the foundation for her future endeavors. Her knack for achieving exceptional results by developing successful marketing, advertising, promotional and media relations campaigns have earned her several Golden Bell Awards from Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International; a communication award from Women in Communications; a Star of the Industry Award from the Texas Hotel and Motel Association; and multiple Silver Microphone Awards for her radio commercials.

Marsha has played an active role in professional groups such as the Women’s Energy Network, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, South Texas Wildcatters and Pink Petro. Her community involvement includes memberships in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo’s International Committee, and the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. In 2021, she was selected from more than 10,000 women to the Forbes 50 Over 50. Also in 2021, Acquisition International Magazine recognized Marsha’s work by naming her their “Most Influential Oil & Gas Businesswoman.” And, for surviving the first negative oil market in April 2020, Marsha and her company – TerraFina – were given Acquisition International’s  “Business Survivor Award."