With over 40 years of experience in International Economic and Tourism Development, he has dedicated his life in helping to develop sustainable economic and cultural channels that can help bridge educational and cultural divides among nations., “One Individual, One Community at a time.”

Founder & CEO of Banks International, LLC, Sherman currently serves as Honorary Consul to Arkansas and the Delta Region, USA for the Republic of Ghana and as President Emeritus of Sister Cities International.

A Charter member of the Smithsonian African American History and Culture, he is an active member of the American Legion, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council, and past Honorary Commander of the 34th Combat Training Squadron.

Over the years Banks has been appointed to various positions to serve his city of Little Rock, the state of Arkansas, and the United States. He has authored educational programs for and hosted Page 2 leaders from such countries as Japan, Ghana, Nigeria, Italy, Australia, France, Spain, Morocco, Mexico, New Zealand, Korea, Russia, China, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Portugal, Brazil, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Netherlands, Ireland, and Northen Ireland.

Fluent in English and Italian, Mr. Banks has been invited to speak on Citizen Diplomacy, Islamic Relations and Economic and Tourism Development in 12 foreign countries and to various educational, civic, and government organizations across the United States.

Sherman served on the first organized Arkansas Minimum Standards Commission for Law Enforcement Officers for five years and served as the first chair. In 1977, the Arkansas Prison Study Commission was appointed. Elected to the 1979-80 Arkansas Constitutional Convention to review and update the Arkansas State Constitution and served as Chair of the Rights and Services Committee.

Appointed in 1983 to the Governor’s Conference on Libraries and served as Chair of the Resolutions Committee. Elected by the Conference to serve as a delegate to the National White House Conference on Libraries. At the White House Conference was elected to the National White House Conference Task Force on Libraries and served as National Treasurer for 10 years.

The Mayor of Little Rock appointed and re-appointed Banks to serve two 5-year terms on the Central Arkansas Library Board of Trustees and was President for two years. During that same period, the Governor appointed and re-appointed him to serve two 7-years terms on the State Library Board of Trustees.

He served on the National and International Board of the American Library Board of Trustees as Chair of the Legislative National Committee and co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee for Libraries. As a member of the American Library Board of Trustees, Banks orchestrated a meeting in Anaheim, California between the Director of the International Division of the American Library Association and Prince Kofi Kludjeson of Ghana to discuss the criteria for the establishment of a national library for Ghana.

Appointed by the Secretary of Defense and approved by the President in 1996 for 3-years to The Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) with the protocol rank of a three-star general.

From 1989-2000 West Little Rotary Club Banks served as Chair of the International Committee, in 1991 President-elect and President in 1992. Also, in 1991 chosen as Group Study Exchange Leader to Italy for six weeks, in 1992 received the distinguished Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship and was Rotary District 6150 Chair for Perth Australia Group Study Exchange.

Appointed to the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission to serve two 5-year terms. He was the mayor’s liaison to Newcastle upon Tyne, England and La Petite, France for the development of sister city friendship relations. Sherman was the Commission’s official Liaison to the city of Ragusa, Sicily, Italy.

Through his relationship with Ragusa, he has serves as Juror and Chair of Little Rock IBLA Foundation IBLA Grand Prize International Music competition that takes place in Ragusa, Sicily, Italy each year. Banks along with his friend Dr. Alan Storeygard and the various local benefactors who make it possible to have a week-long tour through Arkansas to the local schools to over 5,000 children each year in the cities of Lake Village, Star City, Harrison, Batesville, Searcy, Hot Springs, Tontitown, Little Rock, and Jacksonville.

The first African American to be elected President of Sister Cities International, dedicated his presidency to actively furthering the principles upon which President Dwight D. Eisenhower founded Sister Cities post WWII – “to exchange ideas together, to work together and to dream together, one individual, one community at a time through “Citizen Diplomacy.”

He also led a delegation of elected officials and Sister Cities International Board members in 2004 to China to negotiate the details for the second U.S./Sino conference between China and the U.S held in Spokane, Washington in July 2005.

In 2005 & 2006 respectively Mr. Banks with Mary Jean Eisenhower co-led peace missions to Egypt and Morocco during which was held the first ever Sister Cities International “Islamic Summit – Citizen Diplomacy in the 21st Century in Casablanca, Morocco.

Recognizing his tireless efforts to further global cooperation and understanding through citizen diplomacy, Mr. Banks was awarded the title of President Emeritus of Sister Cities International

Banks worked with Prince Kwame Kludjeson of Ghana to develop the Global Sister Cities Foundation and to organize the Africa Global Sister Cities Summit in 2008 held in Accra, Ghana, the Summit focused on the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals to reduce extreme poverty rates, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, and providing universal primary education by 2015. Banks also worked with Prince Kwame on the 2010 symposium on Traditional Leaders working together with Elected Officials.

In October 2015 Banks along with the President and President-Elect of the Arkansas Municipal League traveled to Accra for the purpose of developing and signing a memorandum of understanding between the Arkansas Municipal League and the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana. During that visit the Paramount King of Agotime Traditional Area, Volta Region, His Royal Majesty Nene Nuer Keteku III appointed and coronated Banks Kente Chief of the Diaspora for Agotime. While there help to negotiate that Aristotle, Inc. an Arkansas company in Little Rock, was chosen to be the official US representative for Broadband Development for the country of Ghana.

Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame October 15, 2022.

Veteran U. S. Army 1963-66 Honorable Discharge and received the Good Conduct Medal, Rifle Marksman, National Defense Service Medal, and the Carbine Marksman Received in January 2025, from The World Entertainment Award for the “Best Christian Song and in March of 2025 received the Radio Independence Award for the that same song.