# James Ferrell

> James E. “Jim” Ferrell is chairman of Ferrellgas, the propane business his father founded in Atchison, Kansas. He took over in 1965, expanded through acquisitions, led its 1998 employee ownership initiative and returned to executive leadership in 2016 during a period of financial difficulty. He and his wife Elizabeth also collected a medieval Machaut manuscript and supported scholarly access to it.

- **Role:** Chairman of the Board at Ferrellgas
- **Organizations:** Ferrellgas, Ferrell Companies, Ferrell Capital, World LP Gas Association, Propane Vehicle Council
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in business, University of Kansas
- **Known for:** Expanded the family propane business into a national retailer., Led Ferrellgas’s 1998 employee ownership initiative., Served two terms as president of the World LP Gas Association.

## Career timeline

- **1963** — Graduated from the University of Kansas and entered active Army service.
- **1965** — Returned to Kansas and took over his father’s propane business.
- **1968** — Made an early propane acquisition in Rushville, Missouri.
- **1986** — Acquisition of Buckeye propane assets expanded Ferrellgas nationally.
- **1994** — Ferrellgas became a publicly traded master limited partnership.
- **1998** — Led formation of the employee stock ownership plan; elected World LP Gas Association president.
- **2000** — Re-elected World LP Gas Association president.
- **2004** — Ferrellgas acquired Blue Rhino.
- **2012** — Inducted into the inaugural LP Gas Hall of Fame class.
- **2016** — Returned as interim president and CEO.
- **2020** — Named president and CEO effective December 31.
- **2021** — Led through restructuring that preserved employee ownership and public equity.
- **2023** — Became executive chairman as Tamria Zertuche became president and CEO on August 1.
- **2024** — Appointed chairman of the board effective August 5.

## Achievements

- Expanded the family propane business into a national retailer.
- Led Ferrellgas’s 1998 employee ownership initiative.
- Served two terms as president of the World LP Gas Association.
- Inducted into the LP Gas Hall of Fame’s first class in 2012.
- With Elizabeth Ferrell, supported wider scholarly access to the Ferrell-Vogüé Machaut manuscript.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Ferrellgas’s fiscal 2026 Form 10-K lists James E. Ferrell as chairman and Tamria Zertuche as president and CEO.
- **2024-08** — Appointed chairman of the board effective August 5, following his executive chairman appointment.
- **2023-08** — Moved from president and CEO to executive chairman when Tamria Zertuche succeeded him.

## Links

- Website: https://www.ferrellgas.com/our-company/leadership/james-e-ferrell/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-ferrell-429b93aa

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/james-ferrell
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23