MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
Ken Bayne

Ken Bayne

Meet Ken Bayne, Membership Chair for the Houston Illini Club. A Champaign native and lifelong Illini, Ken earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1981. His connection to Illinois goes back generations — his father was a professor for 50 years, and his mother grew up just outside Champaign.

  • Hometown: Champaign, IL
  • Illinois Connection: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • Illinois Degree: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1981
  • Favorite Illinois Memory: With Champaign as my hometown, I have so many: sneaking into Memorial Stadium as a kid and playing football on the field; going to the Quarterback Club and meeting the Illini head coaches (Mike White was my favorite); watching Lou Henson build the basketball program from nothing; attending Henson’s first camp as a senior in high school and playing against Lou Jr.; and attending bowl games including the Rose, Sugar, Citrus and Liberty.
  • Favorite Places on Campus: The Quad, the Boneyard and Assembly Hall (it was new back then — I watched the last game at Huff)
  • Favorite Illini Athletes: So many: Dave Downey, Dave Shultz, Bob Naponic, Dick Butkus, Jim Grabowski, Nick Weatherspoon, Eddie Johnson, Bruce Douglas and my friend Steve Lanter
  • Favorite Illinois Classes: Classical Civilizations and Ballroom Dancing
  • Favorite UIUC Bars/Restaurants: Again, so many choices: Deluxe, Esquire, Garcia’s, Senator’s Inn, Katsina’s, Jolly Roger and Bambino’s (my employer back then)
  • Moved to Houston: 1998, via Ventura, California, and New Orleans
  • What Brought Him to Houston: The oil and gas business brought me in and out of Houston beginning in 1981
  • Favorite Things About Houston: Nobody is a stranger. Everybody is in the same boat — they came here for opportunity. It’s a “can-do” place.
  • Favorite Places in Houston: Top-notch sports stadiums for baseball, basketball and football
  • Occupation: Vice President, Project Management
  • Something Special: I’ve been loyal to Illinois since the day I was born. My father was a professor for 50 years, and my mother grew up just outside of Champaign.
  • Contact:  Email Ken

 

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