OKLAHOMA CITY -- Judy Love, who with her husband, Tom, founded Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores in 1964, has been named to Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women for 2016. Meanwhile, Langston University honored Jenny Love Meyer, the chain’s vice president of communications, at its recent annual Women in Leadership Luncheon.
With a net worth of $1.9 billion, Judy Love takes the No. 9 spot in the Forbes list; in 2015, the first year of the ranking, she took the No. 7 spot.
With a $5,000 gift from Judy Love’s parents, the couple leased an abandoned gas station in Watonga, Okla. Within a few years, the company had 40 stations and began to open convenience stores alongside the pumps. Today, Love's has more than 300 locations in 39 states. Judy kept the books and ran the company with Tom until 1975, when she returned to college to complete her degree. Today, Tom is chairman and CEO and three of their four children, including Love Meyer, work for the company. Judy is secretary of Love's and chairman of the Love Family Fund, the family's charitable foundation and serves on the boards of a number of Oklahoma-based charities. Most recently she joined the board of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.
Click here to view the complete Forbes’ 2016 list of America’s Self-Made Women.
Separately, Love Meyer (pictured below) was among five women honored at Langston University's recent Women in Leadership Luncheon in Oklahoma City.
The Young Women's Empowerment Institute (YWEI), a mentorship program for freshmen female students attending Langston University, sponsors the Women in Leadership Luncheon each year. YWEI empowers young college women to successfully manage the collegiate landscape and graduate ready to engage the global community. In addition, YWEI follows up with and monitors participants for two years after graduation to ensure they have the guidance needed to find their footing and establish post-college lives.
"YWEI provides much needed advice and encouragement for young female students, many of whom are first generation college students," said Love Meyer. "Because they're the first in their family to go to college, they don't always have the support and guidance they need. This program alleviates those obstacles and gives these students a much better chance at succeeding."
The university chose the five guests of honor because their accomplishments and community involvement reflect the spirit of empowerment, support and connection on which YWEI is based. They spoke about their mentoring experiences and how the presence of strong mentors molded them into the people they are today. Love Meyer specifically thanked her mother, Judy Love, who was in the audience.
Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, travel items, electronics, snacks and more, as well as a selection of restaurant offerings. It employs more than 15,000 people and is currently ranked No. 14 on Forbes’ annual listing of America's Largest Private Companies.
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