March 20, 2015 UT Alumni to Participate in 2015 Perkins + Will Leadership Institute

Three alumna – Marie Henson (’01), Meena Krenek (’00), and Renee Rodriguez (’01) – have been accepted into the Perkins + Will Leadership Institute. They will participate in the 2015 firm-wide professional development initiative that recognizes the importance of investing in future design leaders. Only 15 individuals from across the firm, one of the largest in the United States, are initiated into the leadership class each year.

According to the program description, the Institute was founded by former CEO Henry Mann, who hoped to foster the “next generation in developing the skills necessary for leadership in an extremely dynamic organization such as Perkins+Will.” Participants will focus on building aptitude in leadership through specific topics, which include understanding the client perspective, the business of design, collaboration, strategic thinking, and steps toward organizational change.

About the three 2015 Perkins + Will Leadership Institute inductees:

Marie McFaddin Henson graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2001, and is presently the Senior Medical Planner at Perkins + Will in Seattle.

Renee Rodriguez is an Associate Project Architect in the Washington, DC Office. A 2001 graduate, Rodriguez says the fact that so many alumni are in this year’s leadership class “says great things for U of TN’s program.”

Meena Krenek, a 2000 graduate, is presently a Senior Associate Interior Designer at Perkins + Will in Atlanta.