When Tom Terry moved to Shawnee in 1967 and began personally transforming the appearance of Oklahoma Baptist University and the city, he brought a priceless quality with him - leadership. Along with being instrumental in a wide array of campus beautification efforts, Tom has captained the Shawnee Chamber's Beautification Committee for the past six years, and has led the way with the city's Parks and Beautification Committee, its Garden Council, its Master Gardening Program and more.

Tom has overseen initiatives to revitalize the city's historic Redbud Festival, the planting of more trees suitable to the climate, an annual "Gardening With the Experts" symposium, and a program to transform barren areas into green oases. He even personally weeds waters those plots from plastic gallon jugs.

You can't drive around Shawnee these days without admiring what has grown from his work, and that's especially apparent on the OBU campus. Decades of dedicated service have had an incredible impact, and it's clear that Tom Terry is good news for inspiring beautiful gardening and landscaping in central Oklahoma.