Robert J. Banks

Board of Visitors

Robert J. Banks
Chief Executive Officer
Banks & Associates LLC

Robert Banks, ’66, is presently CEO of Seminole Holdings Group, LLC (Seminole) and Banks & Associates LLC.  He previously was CEO and Founder of Midland Financial Holdings Inc., which was a holding company for six operating companies that, collectively, made up the Midland Companies (Midland).  Midland was a commercial real estate financial organization that provided both debt and equity financing for apartments, on a national basis.  In 1999, Mr. Banks sold Midland to a public company and held the position of Vice Chairman of their Board until he retired on December 31, 2004. Upon retiring, he formed Banks & Associates LLC, which is a real estate investment and brokerage operation, licensed in both Florida and Michigan.  In 2008, he formed Seminole -- a holding company which owns three operating companies that act as the Investment Manager and Commercial Debt/Equity Originator for two privately held REITS, with assets in excess of $350 million.

Mr. Banks is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the states of Florida and Michigan, and holds the CCIM designation, awarded by the National Realtors Association in Chicago, Illinois.  He currently is a Director for Synovus Bank of Tampa Bay and is a member of the Board of Visitors for the Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) as well as being a Director/Member for the Penn State Center for Real Estate Studies at the Smeal College of Business, at PSU.  Mr. Banks is also a member of the Advisory Board for Directed Capital Resources in St. Petersburg, Florida and General Chairman of Copperhead Charities, Inc., a Tampa Bay charity  which acts as the host organization for The Transitions Championship, a PGA Tour Golf Tournament in the Tampa Bay Area.  In addition, he is a Trustee for the Robert J & Jennifer J Banks Foundation whose main mission is to assist adolescents suffering from chemical dependency issues. Mr. Banks is a graduate of the College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University and also served four years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, being discharged at the rank of Captain.