NASBA Center For Public Trust 
NASHVILLE, TN and OKLAHOMA CITY (April 3, 2012) – Established in 2007, The NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT) Being a Difference Award program, recognizes individuals that practice high standards of ethical leadership in business. Tom Hill, chairman of Kimray, Inc., was presented with the esteemed award at a special reception held in his honor on March 29, 2012. Established in 1948, Kimray is an Oklahoma-based manufacturer of control valves and related equipment for oil and gas producing companies.
Hill began his career at Kimray in 1971, following a seven year tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps (including a tour in Vietnam) and earning his B.S.E.E. from Oklahoma State University. In addition to serving as chairman of the board, he is the founder and president of Character First! and the Character Training Institute, Inc. – an internationally acclaimed, non-profit organization dedicated to providing materials and training for families, schools, businesses, and other organizations interested in building good character. As author of Making Character First: Building A Culture of Character In Any Organization, Hill is a regularly invited speaker on character and ethics in business.
Realizing that achievement and good character walk hand-in-hand, Hill founded Character First! at Kimray in 1992 as a way to position individuals and organizations for success. Since the organization’s inception, Hill’s training and promotion of ethical principals have positively impacted Kimray employees and also extended far beyond the walls of the company, reaching over 2,000 businesses, 1,800 school districts, 350 U.S. communities and 28 foreign countries—all of which have implemented this new paradigm for personal growth.
"I am honored to receive such a prestigious award from the NASBA Center for the Public Trust," said Hill. "I accept this award on behalf of Kimray and its over 600 employees who set the example for character in the workplace every day."
Among Hill’s numerous involvements, he has served as trustee or board member for organizations including Oklahoma Baptist University, the Institute in Basic Life Principles, Scope Ministries International, and Oklahoma City YMCA. In 1998, Hill was named the Oklahoma Central Baptist Association Christian Citizen of the Year. He received the CBMC Salt and Light Award in 2002, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Oklahoma Christian University in 2005.
"It was a great honor to present the Being a Difference Award to Tom Hill. He has built a culture centered on character and integrity and has experienced great business results as a by-product of that. Not only has he effectively impacted the Kimray organization, but he has also impacted other companies throughout the world through the Character First! program. Tom is a tremendous success and the NASBA Center for the Public Trust is proud to extend this award in his honor," said NASBA CPT President, Alfonzo Alexander.
As proud parents to three married children and 20 grandchildren, Tom and his wife Kay have been married since 1963. They are active members of Western Hills Church in Oklahoma City where Tom is an elder.
About NASBA CPT
The NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to champion the public trust by advancing ethical leadership in business, institutions and organizations. www.centerforpublictrust.org
About Kimray, Inc.
Founded in 19
48 by Garman Kimmell, Kimray, Inc. is an Oklahoma manufacturer of control valves and related equipment for oil and gas producing companies. Kimray uses iron, steel, aluminum and thermoplastic materials to build a comprehensive line of control valves, thermostats, energy-exchange glycol pumps, gas-operated pilots and other control devices. For more information, visit www.kimray.com.
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KIMRAY Chairman, Tom Hill, Receives Prestigious Being a Difference Award from the NASBA Center for the Public Trust
Contacts:
NASBA: Cassandra Gray
Office: (615) 564-2172
[email protected]
KIMRAY: Lindsay Laird
Office: (405) 605-2003
[email protected]