Colorado Springs’ own Kyle Hybl, the CEO of the El Pomar Foundation, was honored as a top alumnus by a national educational organization Friday night at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Hybl is a product of two of the programs put on by The Fund for American Studies’ Alumni Achievement Award. He was named the chairman emeritus the University of Colorado system after serving on its Board of Regents for eight years. He currently chairs of the Police Foundation of Colorado Springs, among numerous civic and philanthropic roles in the community.

The organization also cited Hybl’s service as an Air Force captain in the Judge Advocate General Corps.

The fund is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provides programs that “instill principles of honorable leadership in the next generation of leaders” by schooling them in the principles of democracy, free enterprise and honorable leadership, which the organization calls the first principles of democracy.

“Since 1967, The Fund for American Studies has been teaching freedom’s first principles of democracy and free enterprise to college students from around the United States and the world,” Hybl told Colorado Politics. “I am grateful for the work of (TFAS president) Roger Ream and his entire team at the fund for over 50 years dedicated to teaching the principles of limited government, free market economics and honorable leadership.”

He called his first experience as a student there more than 25 years ago “transformational,” and he was gratified that the next generation of his family benefited, as well.

“It was there I came to appreciate the importance of our freedoms and how the extent of our liberty is dependent upon those who make our laws at the local, state and federal levels,” Hybl said. “It is gratifying to know that Sally’s and my oldest son and one of our nephews have also had the opportunity to benefit from TFAS’s meaningful programming.”