Rancher Ken Banks Elected to AQHA Executive Committee

The 2021-2022 American Quarter Horse Association Executive Committee was elected at the 2021 AQHA Convention in San Antonio recently. Kenneth Banks of Schulenburg was elected second vice president of the organization.

Banks is an AQHA life member. He was elected as an AQHA director in 1996 and elevated to director-at-large in 2011. Banks has served on the International, Show and Contest, Nominations and Credentials, Amateur, and Marketing committees. He also served on the Foundation and Show councils. Banks currently serves on the Finance Committee.

Banks graduated with honors from Southwest Texas University with a bachelor’s degree in soil science and from Texas A&M University with a master’s in soil chemistry. After more than 30 years in the business world, he sold his automotive aftermarket companies in 2015 and returned home to ranching and breeding and raising horses and cattle. Banks Ranch, located in central Texas, breeds, raises, trains and shows AQHA Ranching Heritagebred American Quarter Horses for the show pen and the ranch. The cattle portion of the ranch includes registered Herefords and crossbred cows. The ranch’s artificial insemination program has created one of the best cow herds in Texas.

Banks is a past president of the National Snaffle Bit Association and member of the NSBA Hall of Fame. He has served as the chairman of the NSBA financial committee, treasurer, crisis fund committee, world show committee and Breeders Championship Futurity committee. Banks is also a past president of the Texas Quarter Horse Association. Currently, one of Banks’ loves is mentoring students at Texas A&M University. He is a member of the Texas A&M University Equine Initiative Development Committee, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Development Committee, and Texas A&M University Beef Cattle Development Council.

Banks was awarded one of the most prestigious business awards when he received the Ernst & Young Master Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Houston region. Not only was he successful in the business world, but he also received the Texas Philanthropist title for his benevolent, humanitarian efforts throughout Texas by Philanthropy in Texas Magazine. At the request of Texas Gov. George Bush, Banks served on the Texas Governor’s Business Council for eight years.

Banks and his wife, Laina, an AQHA director-at-large and dedicated lover of the American Quarter Horse way of life, reside on the ranch in Schulenburg, where they spend most of their time breeding and raising American Quarter Horses. They share three children, son Paul and daughter-in-law Heather; daughter Lindsay and son-in-law David Kutac; and son Russell and daughter-in-law Dr. Crystal Banks, and the joy of seven grandchildren.

AQHA operates primarily upon the decisions of its members through the board of directors, but the five-person Executive Committee is responsible for implementing important decisions and governing AQHA between the annual meetings of the membership and the board. The Executive Committee convenes throughout the year to conduct and manage the business of AQHA.

The AQHA Executive Committee – consisting of a president, first vice president, second vice president and two additional members – is elected each year by the board at the convention. Each member serves a term of one year until the selection of his or her successor.