Mr. Holmes and his wife, Kay, together have seven children and eighteen grandchildren. Ned has had a long and distinguished career in the banking sector and is currently Chairman and CEO of Holmes Investments, Inc. In addition to land development, construction, and banking interests, Ned serves both public and private commissions. After serving as Chairman of the Port of Houston Authority Commission, he was elected Chairman Emeritus of the Port Commission. Ned was appointed Commissioner of the Texas Parks & Wildlife, where he served from 2003-2007. He was appointed Commissioner of the Texas Department of Transportation in 2007, where he served for 5 years. In addition, he served as Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership in 1999 and has served on its Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Mr. Holmes also served on the oversight committee of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) from 2013 to 2017 and was previously Chairman of the Lieutenant Governor’s Transportation Advisory Board. 

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Ned has long enjoyed the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing. Some of his earliest memories are hunting and fishing with his grandfather, Joe Russell, at the Eagle Lake Rod and Gun Club, and at his ranch near Medina, Texas. His grandfather always let him shoot first at the ducks. This was generally followed by his grandfather killing the ducks using a 28 gauge. Hence, Ned’s love of the sub-gauges, especially the 28. Ned has hunted dove and quail in Texas and south of the border for over sixty years. In 1988, Ned, along with John Kelsey, Terry Thomas, and John Blocker, founded the San Chicago Camp, located on the Norias Division of the King Ranch. Ned, alongside his lease partners and their camp manager, Bill Davis, has worked for the past thirty-six seasons to enhance the quail population at San Chicago. They have actively participated in many quail research efforts and programs at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. 

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Ned’s tenure on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission broadened his interest in all things wild. While on the Commission, he became a strong advocate for the State Park System, recognizing it as the only outdoor resource available to many urban dwellers. He served on the board of the Boone and Crockett Club, the oldest conservation organization in the country, founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1887. He is also a member of the International Order of St. Hubertus, an international organization founded in 1695, dedicated to ethical hunting, fishing, and conservation. He has served on numerous charitable boards, including Memorial Hermann Hospital System, Baylor College of Medicine, and M.D. Anderson Board of Visitors, Episcopal High School, The Montessori School of Houston and the Advisory Board of the Houston Ballet.