William “Billy” Orgel capitalized on a rapidly-expanding wireless industry to create a national telecommunications service provider based in his native Memphis. The president of Tower Ventures, he’s put his entrepreneurial spirit to work other ways, too, so naturally he was drawn to the shared goal of a successful Memphis lauded by the Chairman’s Circle. Orgel likes the organization’s big-picture thinking, while his son, Ben, said they were both inspired by its leaders.
The elder Orgel is a busy man vested in his community. He is a past board member of the organization that oversaw construction of the FedEx Forum, and he became a member of the Memphis Grizzlies ownership group in 2013. He was re-elected to the Shelby County School Board in 2014. He also is on boards at the National Civil Rights Museum and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. He’s worked on historic preservation projects in downtown Memphis and is a development partner in Barbaro Flats, South Junction and South Line.
“A lot of smart and talented people are [in Memphis]. There’s affordable cost of living, and it’s a great place to raise a family. I think the best thing it has is hope and promise.”
At Tower Ventures, Ben Orgel’s job responsibilities fit the title of asset manager. He, too, is a developer. He also is a high school basketball coach and an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. While he is one of three children, he’s Billy Orgel’s only son.
Billy Orgel studied at the University of Texas at Austin and returned to work in Memphis after graduation. While he was drawn to Memphis because of familiarity, he also believed it was a good place to do business. “It’s well located, and one of the things that make it great is so many people who grew up here are still here,” he said.
“A lot of smart and talented people are here,” said Ben Orgel, in agreement with his father. “There’s affordable cost of living, and it’s a great place to raise a family. I think the best thing it has is hope and promise.”
The Chairman’s Circle is made up of local leaders whose investment in the Chamber drives transformational change in Memphis. With more than 100 members representing more than 100,000 employees, members of the Chairman’s Circle use their collective strengths as community and business leaders to create a clear path to positive change in Memphis and the Mid-South.
Photo Credit: Memphis Business Journal
