For 15 years, the Dayton Business Journal has been honoring 40 individuals under the age of 40 who possess inspiring business and community leadership skills. The 40 Under 40 awards is always a popular one, but 2012 has been especially competitive—the DBJ received its highest number of nominations this year.

In its history, the 40 Under 40 program has awarded some of Real Art’s finest, including Mark Kargl in 2009 and Chris Wire in 1999. But we won’t stop with those two! This year, we are proud to announce that our very own Director of Art and Technology, Pat Murray, has been chosen to join the ranks of Dayton’s most “outstanding young professionals.”

Pat has been with Real Art for over 10 years, doing everything from design, to programming, to building some of our interactive machines. He’s worked on some of our most ambitious projects like The Santa Claw in Gizmodo Gallery, 7-Eleven’s Dip-A-Drip, and MARV for Welcome to College.

In addition to his day job, he is also an adjunct professor at the University of Dayton. He has taught their interactive/multimedia design courses for seven years. “Between these two jobs, I believe I have learned how to be a leader as well knowing the importance of staying ahead of the curve,” he says.

But Pat doesn’t just save his creativity and leadership for work hours. Recently, Real Art has added a rooftop garden that everyone can help care for throughout the summer. This, of course, was Pat’s brilliant idea. “The roof top garden really just evolved from the combination of a lackluster set of planting beds and the desire to grow delicious vegetables,” claims Pat. “It really doesn’t make sense not to have a rooftop garden. I’m looking forward the results!”

Moreover, the fun isn’t just out in the sun. Real Art has been participating in what we’ve come to know as “design lunches.” Every so often, members of the Real Art team gather during lunch to share and discuss their ideas, inspirations, and knowledge. “The concept of a collaborative and sharing environment is nothing new to Real Art,” insists Pat, “I believe I have been a big proponent of the translation of ideas and knowledge. So, the culmination of design lunches was just a natural progression that I took on merely to make sure it continued to happen.” He continues, “It is a great thing when people of all backgrounds and skills can share in an open forum. We can learn a lot from each other, especially across different areas of expertise.”

So what does Pat have to say about all of the 40 Under 40 brouhaha? What does he think about being nominated? He admits he was a bit surprised. “I really wasn’t expecting to be nominated, let alone win. I was very honored. I can only hope that it’s because I have had a positive impact on people’s lives and on the community at large.”

Well, Pat, you have definitely impacted the lives of us here at Real Art, and we are so proud to call you ours!

Pat and the rest of the 40 Under 40 class of 2012 will be inducted on May 17 at 5:30 p.m., at the Schuster Performing Arts Center.