Ken Hersh ’81 Named Distinguished Alumnus

At the 19th Annual Spring Alumni Dinner on Friday, April 24, 2015, Ken Hersh ’81 was honored as the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. For the past three decades, Ken has earned a reputation as a leader in the energy and natural gas industry. As CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management, Ken pioneered an investment model that has now become the industry standard. His insights into the business make him a frequent guest on CNBC and Fox News, as well as a contributor to numerous energy and economic forums. 

 

Ken and his wife Julie are heavily involved in the nonprofit world through The Hersh Foundation. Ken currently serves on several boards of trustees, including Communities Foundation of Texas, Baylor Health Care System Foundation, as well as St. Mark’s School of Texas, for which he served as Board President from 2010–2012. Ken is also a member of the Dallas Citizen’s Council.

 

Throughout the past quarter century Ken has remained a dedicated supporter of the St. Mark’s mission. In 2006, at the onset of The Centennial Challenge, Ken and Julie announced a $5 million gift to support the construction of a new building to house the debate and journalism programs, as well as numerous classrooms and offices. The Hersh Family named the building in honor of fellow ReMarker editor-in-chief and his friend and role model, Robert K. Hoffman ’65. Almost a decade later, Robert’s widow, Marguerite Steed Hoffman, returned the honor with a gift that named the journalism suite in honor of the Hersh Family.

 

Accepting his award, Ken said, “For me, St. Mark’s is home. It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve been able to do outside of my professional life. This place carries so much meaning to me that I couldn’t even imagine not being a part of it in some way.”

 

Ken and Julie have two children, Rachel and Daniel ’13. Daniel, like his father, served as editor-in-chief of The ReMarker his senior year.