Gov. Abbott appoints Midland resident Aaron Kinsey as Board of Education chair

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday appointed Aaron Kinsey of Midland as chair of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) for a term set to expire on Dec. 17, 2025. He will succeed outgoing Chair Dr. Keven Ellis, who was appointed in 2019 and will continue to serve on the SBOE.

Kinsey is CEO of American Patrols, Inc., an aviation oilfield services company, and also serves as District 15 representative on the State Board of Education.

He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2005 to 2014, during which he was a pilot who flew 120 combat missions in a C-130 and taught pilot training and instructor pilot courses.

“Aaron Kinsey’s previous service in the Air Force and depth of experience as a business leader will be a boon to the SBOE as he assumes this important role,” Gov. Abbott said. “Working together with Aaron and the SBOE, Texas will continue to prepare our students to reach greater heights in the Texas of tomorrow.”

Kinsey is a member of the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund, chair of the Committee on Strategic Planning and Policy, and also a member of the Texas Public Policy Foundation Liberty Leadership Council.

He is a former member of the Adam Smith Society Host Committee and former community group leader for Redeemer Midland Church.

Kinsey received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Finance from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.