To Whom It May Concern:

I’m writing with an enthusiastic recommendation for Kimball Perry.

I worked with Kimball for more than 20 years, first as a fellow reporter at the Cincinnati Post and later as a colleague at the Cincinnati Enquirer. Without hesitation, I can tell you that he is a skilled, loyal, tenacious and talented communicator who would be an asset in whatever role you choose for him.

Kimball’s most obvious qualities are his competitiveness and his persistence. He believes in doing a job well and will not stop until he accomplishes that. I can recall multiple occasions when Kimball simply wouldn’t let go of a story, simply because he has pride in his work and really cares about the outcome. He is always willing to make one more call and write one more draft to make sure he gets it right – on deadline. For a communicator, there is no better asset.

But there is so much more to Kimball than that. As we transformed to a digital newsroom at the Enquirer, Kimball was a leader and a model of how to change the way we work. He is adaptable, always looking for a better way to get the job done. One example: Kimball is a pioneer in using social media to broadcast events live. Thousands of people around the region could follow court proceedings closely over Twitter and on video – video he shot and edited himself – because Kimball changed the way he worked.

He holds his colleagues accountable for their performance, but not nearly as strictly as he holds himself. He is well-connected around Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, with an ability to translate courts and justice to a mass audience. As someone outside the media industry now, I would not hesitate to take his call and know that he will treat me fairly. He is passionate about fair play and equal access to the justice system, and not afraid to speak truth to power.

But my favorite thing about Kimball is his soft heart. At the Enquirer, we had a longtime colleague collapse and die in the newsroom. Kimball took ownership immediately, including filing an obituary for the website within an hour. I could sooner have walked on the moon than sat down to write a story. The story he wrote was filled with love and respect for our colleague. In a newsroom filled with grief, he showed us how to get to the next minute, the next hour and the next day.

I am proud to recommend Kimball, and would be happy to talk more at any time.

Respectfully,

Cliff PealeDirector, Executive CommunicationsMercy Healthcliffpeale@gmail.comCell: 513-544-1190