Challengers 10.20.24 - Ken Busby

Ken Busby is the Cultural Czar of Northeast Oklahoma. He also serves as Executive Director & CEO of the Route 66 Alliance. Previously, he served as Executive Director & CEO of the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa for twelve years. A native of Tulsa, Busby holds a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and French from the University of Tulsa. He has a Master of Arts in journalism from Indiana University at Bloomington. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Busby is also a Leadership Oklahoma Class XVII graduate.
Busby is the past chair of the Tulsa Route 66 Commission and was appointed by the Governor to the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission in 2020. He is president of the Oklahoma Museums Association and serves on the executive committees of the Tulsa Symphony, Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust, and Green Country Tourism. In 2015, Busby was named the Leadership Oklahoma Distinguished Graduate, and in 2021, Busby received the Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. In 2022, Busby was named to the inaugural class of "55 Over 55 Inspiring Oklahomans."
In addition to his work promoting Route 66, Busby is a strategic consultant for nonprofit organizations in board development, strategic planning, and fundraising. Recent clients include Emergency Infant Services, the Iowa Museums Association, and the Rogers County Historical Society.