In 1996, the annual Governor’s Safety & Health Conference safety award was renamed the “Gary Hawk Safety Award” in honor of long-time OSH Advisory Council member Gary Hawk, who passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Gary Hawk History – Gary L. Hawk graduated from Burlington High School and attended Southeastern Community College. Gary started working for J.I. Case as an inspector in 1963 and then worked for the Iowa Bureau of Labor and Federal OSHA as a compliance officer until he returned to Case where he retired in 1992. Following retirement, he continued with the UAW as a discussion Leader on OSHA and served on the Governors’ Iowa Advisory Board in Des Moines. During Gary’s long tenure as a member of the Iowa Governors Safety Council, he was instrumental in providing safety education to the workers of Iowa. His ability to coach, mentor, and train was extraordinary. He was especially gifted at pulling government, labor, and management together for the benefit of the Iowa workforce. In 1997, the Occupational Safety and Health Council established the Gary Hawk Award to recognize an individual who has dedicated their career and made a significant contribution to Iowa occupational safety and health. Gary died at the age of 55 on May 14, 1996.
Gary Hawk Award Nomination Form
2026 Gary Hawk Award Winner:
Kirk Dighton
Kirk Dighton has served as the Safety Manager for D. C. Taylor Co. since February 2017. He holds a Master of Science in Occupational Health and Safety from Columbia Southern University and is a retired Iowa paramedic. His extensive safety background spans emergency medical services, construction, general industry, agriculture, and the wind energy sector.
Kirk is a Fall Protection Competent Person Instructor and an authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer for both 10- and 30-hour courses in General Industry and Construction. He also serves as an adjunct safety instructor for Kirkwood Community College, a contracted safety instructor for Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), and an Authorized Trainer for the OSHA Training Institute.
Under Kirk’s leadership, D. C. Taylor Co. achieved a significant milestone in September 2025 by earning the Iowa OSHA Consultation’s VPP Star Mobile Worksite designation, becoming the first and only company in Iowa to receive this recognition. His team has also been honored with multiple President’s Safety Awards from the Iowa-Illinois Safety Council and was recognized by EHS Magazine as one of the Top Ten Safest Companies in America in 2024.
In addition to his role at D. C. Taylor Co., Kirk is the owner and lead consultant of Imperial Safety Solutions, LLC. Through both organizations, he has built a reputation for developing highly effective safety programs and fostering a culture of safety excellence. He is frequently asked to present at safety conference to share his expertise. His professional philosophy is reflected in the simple motto that guides his work every day: “Do the right thing.”