General 4 — Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council

Eric Wanjura - President

Eric is the CEO of Farmers Cooperative Compress in Lubbock, Texas. A Lubbock native, Eric attended Texas Tech University where he earned his Bachelor’s in Agricultural Economics and his Master of Agriculture. He has worked at Farmers Cooperative Compress since 2005 and took on the role as CEO in July of 2020. Eric and his wife Christine have three children, Sarah, Ben, and Hugh, and two international students from China that have become a part of the family, Chen and Eric. Sarah earned her food science degree from Texas Tech University and now works as a seafood buyer for HEB. Their second, Ben, is in pilot training with the United States Air Force at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, TX. Their youngest, Hugh, will graduate from Texas A&M University in December of 2025 and is getting married in January 2026.

Jason Lee - Vice President

Jason is the General Manager of Planters Grain Cooperative in Odem, TX. Jason was raised on a hog farm in Eastern Iowa. He moved to Corpus Christi, TX in 2011. After graduating college in 2002 Jason went to work for his dad’s feed mill and elevator. Jason then received and opportunity to work for ADM and after moving around with them gave him the opportunity to move to Corpus to work at the Port Facility. In 2011 Jason went to work for Planters Grain as the operations manager. In 2018 Jason was promoted to General Manager. Jason and his wife Amber have 4 daughters. Alivia, Magdalyn, Addison, and Sadie. Jason and Amber reside in Flour Bluff where they enjoy going to their kids high school sports games and swimming in the pool.

Keith Smith - Secretary

Keith Smith was raised in Edna, TX and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1995 with a B.S. in Poultry Science and earned a M.B.A. in 2005 from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Keith began his career as a grain commodities Merchandiser with Continental Grain Company in 1995 and enjoyed assignments in Hennepin, IL and Mount Vernon, IN before returning home to manage his families’ grain elevator and open a commodities brokerage. His family sold their business in 2006 and he left agriculture and moved to Corpus Christi to take a position with UBS Financial Services as a Financial Advisor. He later practiced at Kleberg Financial Services and M.E. Allison & Co. Keith had the opportunity in 2018 to return to agriculture when he accepted the position of Vice President – Administration at Gulf Compress – his current role.

Keith is passionate about leadership in the community and in his industry. He was President of the Nueces County A&M Club, President of the Six Points Kiwanis Club, and has served on the Corpus Christi Crime Stoppers Board. He is a graduate of Leadership Corpus Christi Class of ’39 and served on the Steering Committee for the Class of ’48 and served on the Leadership Corpus Christi Alumni Board. He is a volunteer at the annual Buccaneer Days celebration in Corpus Christi and is an officer in the Bucarader Parade Organization for the festival. Keith has served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Grain and Feed Association and as President of the South Texas Country Elevator’s Association. He currently serves as a board member of the Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council and as a voting delegate to the National Cotton Council. Keith also is a member of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture Development Council.

Keith is married to Rebecca Smith, and their 11-year-old daughter Charlotte attends Saint James Episcopal School in Corpus Christi. He and his wife are members of First Presbyterian Church in Corpus Christi, where they serve an active role.

Keith enjoys gardening and working in his yard. He and his wife are avid scuba divers and enjoy exploring national parks. Keith is passionate about his Fightin’ Texas Aggies and is a passionate fan and supporter of Texas A&M University.

Keith’s favorite quote is from President John F. Kennedy, delivered on September 12, 1962 at Rice Stadium in Houston: “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…”

Aaron Hendricks - Immediate Past President

Aaron is the General Manager of Floydada Co-op Gins in Floydada, Texas. He was born in Alice, Texas and lived in Agua Dulce until 1975 when his parents moved the family-owned gin to Floydada where Aaron worked until graduating from Floydada High School in 1982. He then attended South Plains College and Texas A & I University in Kingsville. After attending college, Aaron worked for his parents at Barwise Gin, west of Floydada, while also owning and operating Hendricks Trucking, Inc. In 1995, Aaron started as General Manager of P.A. Gin in Bishop, Texas that was bought by Gulf Coast Co-op in 1998 where he worked as the gin division manager. Aaron started as general manager of Olton Coop Gin in 1999, then in 2002, moved to O’Donnell and became the general manager of Farmers Co-op Association. While in O’Donnell, Aaron served as President of O’Donnell Livestock Association and Vice President of O’Donnell Little League. In 2007 Aaron moved to Floydada where he began his current position as General Manager of Floydada Co-op Gins. Aaron and his wife Kori have 2 children: Austin, Manager of Flower Grove Co-op in Ackerly, TX, and Kaylee, graduate of Texas Tech University and now works at Lubbock Event Rentals.

Christy Lewis - Executive Vice President

Christy joined TACC in November 2014. She is a longtime Austinite graduating from Westwood High School located in north Austin in 1993. She received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Texas State University in San Marcos and a master’s degree in Management from National American University in Austin. Most of her career has been with the University of Texas at Austin in the College of Education. Her department provided professional development opportunities for community college staff, faculty, and administrators. Her stepdad is a retired Special Ranger for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Her parents now own a small cattle ranch in Holland, Texas. She and her son, Ivan, never miss an opportunity to visit.