Making Character First
Tom Hill is the Chairman of the Board of Kimray, Inc., a manufacturer of oilfield equipment and controls. Tom began his career at Kimray in 1971 after seven years in the United States Marine Corps including a tour in Viet Nam as a Radar Intercept Officer in F4-B Phantom jets and then earning a B.S.E.E. from Oklahoma State University. Upon graduation from Oklahoma State University he received the St. Pat s Award, the highest honorary recognition in the College of Engineering, and the Outstanding Electrical Engineer Award. Tom is the Founder and Chairman of Character First Â® and the Character Training Institute, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing materials and training for families, schools, businesses, and other organizations interested in building good character. He is a regularly invited speaker on character and ethics in business. Character FirstÂ® began at Kimray with a desire to help all employees be successful. Since all lasting achievement is rooted in good character, encouraging and building good character helps individuals and families reach their full potential. Successful families lead to successful businesses, communities, and even countries. Since its inception in 1992, thousands of businesses, school districts, and communities in the United States and over twenty-seven foreign countries have implemented this new paradigm for personal growth.  Tom has served as trustee or board member for the Character Council of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist University, the Institute in Basic Life Principles, Scope Ministries International, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Fellowship of Companies for Christ International, and Oklahoma City YMCA. Tom currently serves as a Board Member of the Academy of Leadership and Liberty, Novo Ministries, Metro Tech Foundation, and Founding Board Member of S.A.L.L.T. Academy. Tom was named the Oklahoma Central Baptist Association Christian Citizen of the Year in 1998, received the CBMC Salt and Light Award in 2002, and a Honorary Doctor of Laws from Oklahoma Christian University in 2005. In 2008 Tom received the Great Patriot award from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge and the Valir Health Community Award. In 2009 Tom received the George Washington Award from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge. Tom and his wife Kay are active members of Western Hills Church in Oklahoma City. They have been married since 1963, and have three married children and twenty grandchildren.