The son of a Santa Fe Railroad lineman and a flower shop owner, Miller was raised in Somerville, Texas. He attended the University of Houston where he played football, married Kathie Nicar while in college and completed his B.S. degree in education. After college, his football career continued with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys until medical issues forced a change. Miller coached at two schools in Texas before launching his entrepreneurial career with a development and home construction business with Kathie. Together, they went on to raise three children, Brooks, Briana and Blade, established the predecessor of Bassler Energy Services (Bassler Base & Pumping Unit Services) and built, owned and operated five small motels that helped ease the oil bust of the ’80s. When the oil and gas industry showed signs of recovery, the Basslers sold their motels, invested the capital in BES and focused on expanding their oil and gas services company into the successful business it is today.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities and keeping tabs on operations, Miller also maintains a full schedule which includes guiding BES in its growth and expansion. While securing sites and real estate, obtaining the needed equipment for the expansion and balancing capital requirements for the company’s growth, Miller also maintains company relationships with the many customers that BES services.

Miller actively serves his church in leadership roles and loves hosting and cooking for large groups of family, friends and customers. His annual crawfish boils are highly anticipated events that many customers, friends and family look forward to every spring. A lifelong sportsman and outdoorsman, Miller enjoys fishing in the Laguna Madre, hunting, occasional golf and snow skiing. He is the number one fan of the University of Houston, holds season tickets in three sports and is a lifetime member of the H-Association (for former lettermen) and the UH Alumni Organization. Miller is also a member of the American Petroleum Institute (Brazos Valley and Austin Chalk chapters) and the Petroleum Club of Fort Worth. Miller and Kathie have been married since 1973 and reside at their home in Rockdale, Texas.

From Morgan City, Louisiana, Kathie grew up in the Gulf’s hub of the oil and gas business. Her father was a drilling superintendent on offshore platforms and a lifelong employee of Sun Oil Company, and her mother owned a small travel agency. After attending Louisiana State University, Kathie married Miller Bassler and honed her financial knowledge in the savings and loan industry. She continued her education at Lee College in Baytown, Texas, and worked side-by-side with Miller to form and run their home construction business. A few years later, Kathie—now a mother to their three children—helped her husband establish their first oil and gas services company. To survive the roller-coaster ’80s, Kathie also worked with Miller to build and operate their five Texas motels. The motels were eventually sold and together the Basslers incorporated and expanded their oil and gas business into Bassler Energy Services.

Possessing boundless energy, Kathie is an accomplished sportswoman who enjoys fishing and hunting, is active in her church and local community, and like her husband, is an avid University of Houston sports fan and season ticket holder for football, basketball and baseball. She also enjoys working out, cycling, hiking, snow skiing, reading and cooking for and entertaining large crowds. Kathie is a member of the University’s Cougar Executive Organization and the Brazos Valley and Austin Chalk chapters of the American Petroleum Institute.

A native of Rockdale, Texas, Blade followed in his father’s footsteps, attended the University of Houston and excelled in football, playing quarterback his first three years and moving to tight end for his final two years. His academic performance was equally impressive, earning B.A. degrees with honors in finance and entrepreneurship, while earning additional academic and athletic awards along the way. Blade became a member of the honors college at UH, received UH President’s Academic Excellence Awards in 2001 and 2003, was named the CenterPoint Energy Cougar Student Athlete of the Year in 2003, was a Conference USA Academic Medalist from 2001-2005 and was a finalist for the 2005 Draddy Award. This trophy, often referred to as the “Academic Heisman,” recognizes an individual as the best in the country for academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership.

After completing his formal education, Blade’s on-the-job training began as an assistant manager in the Deanville office of Bassler Energy Services, where he learned the business from the ground up. In the fall of 2007, he opened the Fort Worth location, and in 2010, he was instrumental in getting the Haynesville Shale operation up and running. Today, in his new position as the company’s COO, Blade is responsible for sales and operations at all locations where he maintains close contact with all operation managers, employees and customers. He is Nace CIP certified and a Life Member of the H Association and the UH Alumni Association.

In his leisure time, Blade enjoys hunting, saltwater fishing, golf, grilling and cooking, listening to live music and spending time with his wife, Kim, their twins and dog Charlie.