Gary and Kim Heiman have built their lives on a belief passed down through generations: opportunity carries a responsibility to help others rise. That conviction guides their leadership in business and community alike, and United Way of Greater Cincinnati is proud to honor them as 2026 recipients of the Tocqueville Award.
The Heimans lead Standard Textile, a global manufacturer that began 85 years ago in Cincinnati as a linen distribution company. The couple’s story began in different places but converged through shared values — family, perseverance and global perspective.
Kim grew up in Nashville, where civic engagement was part of everyday life. “As far as I knew, my mother and grandmother were full-time volunteers,” she said. Her grandmother once led the Community Chest, United Way’s predecessor. Kim said she grew up understanding that supporting neighbors in need was simply part of how families contributed to the places they lived.
Gary’s grandparents immigrated to the U.S. after escaping a concentration camp in Nazi Germany, aided by someone whose family they had once quietly helped. That experience instilled a lasting belief that generosity has a way of coming full circle, often in ways no one can predict.
The Heimans’ individual journeys took them around the world before they ultimately made Cincinnati home. After college, Gary planned to travel. But when his mother became ill, he went to Israel to stay closer. He was on a communal settlement in 1973 when the Yom Kippur War broke out. He remembers watching Syrian jets cross the Golan Heights and seeing the sky darken with smoke. He remained through the war, then committed himself to building industry in Israel, to create jobs and stability for new immigrants.
At just 24, Gary opened his first manufacturing plant in the Negev desert. “I might have been young enough to think I knew more than I did,” he said. The risk paid off. The plant succeeded and helped fuel Standard Textile’s worldwide growth. From the beginning, innovation became central to the company’s identity. “If we didn’t create something better, we wouldn’t have had a reason to exist,” Gary said.
Kim brought equal drive and a global sensibility from years working in finance in New York and Jerusalem, then leading international business development for Standard Textile. Managing teams across Europe, Asia and the Middle East reinforced the importance of listening closely and leading with empathy. She said exposure to different cultures deepened her understanding of the challenges people face and strengthened her belief leadership is about helping others succeed.
That same philosophy influences the Heimans’ philanthropic work and their long-standing partnership with United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Their support reflects a shared belief that educational success, financial empowerment and housing security are deeply interconnected — and that families cannot thrive unless all three are addressed together.
Through United Way, the Heimans supported work that connects people to resources, strengthens safety nets and helps ensure children are ready to learn because their families have the stability they need. “I see United Way as helping our most vulnerable populations,” Kim said. “If we didn’t have that, a lot of people would be falling behind.”
Gary and Kim co-chaired United Way’s community campaign in 2018. They said that time gave them a deeper appreciation for the organization’s role in convening partners, listening directly to community members and addressing complex challenges like housing instability at their root.
As their own children raise families, the Heimans see the next generation stepping forward. One daughter asked to sit in on family foundation meetings to better understand how decisions are made. Another, now a public school teacher, focuses her energy on helping students read at grade level. “They all have big hearts,” Kim said. “We hoped they would carry this work forward in their own way.”
Though they have traveled widely, Gary and Kim say they always feel grateful to return home to Cincinnati. It is more than the headquarters of their global company — it’s a place they describe as welcoming, collaborative and full of possibility. Through their leadership, generosity and partnership with United Way, they’re helping build a stronger region where opportunity can reach more families and futures can take root.
