Inspirational, at times even unbelievable in the scope and depth of their giving, the 2005 PROSALES Public Service Leader award recipients—Kevin Hancock (pictured left), Mickey Boles (center), and Paul Hylbert (right)—have dedicated their careers to the betterment of the construction supply and home building industries, and of the markets and communities in which they live and work. Individually, they contribute to organizations that treat children with life-threatening diseases, help to shepherd recovering drug addicts back into society, and give disadvantaged youth a shot at a better education and a more promising future. Collectively, they pound nails, drum up support, and give back to the industry through countless man-hours of guidance and leadership at organizations including the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA), the Southern Building Material Association (SBMA), and the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies. All of this while running the daily operations of highly successful, multi-million-dollar—and in one case multi-billion-dollar—companies.
Despite their enormous commitment, these three men remain unhassled and unequivocally resolute that their contributions bring to them and their companies a satisfaction and corporate self-worth that greatly repays their giving. From generosity to work ethic to their vision of the pro dealer future, there are many commonalities between our three honorees, but none are more important than the work they have done to get recognition for the good we as an industry have accomplished and the strong encouragement they leverage on their peers to join them in the journeys they have begun.
