May 29, 2024 Marla Gerber Awarded the Spirit of A Volunteer

Earlier this year, Marla and Jeff (’82) Gerber hosted a reception for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Houston Alumni Chapter at Briarpark Green, their commercial office building in Houston, Texas. Marla manages the building, and Jeff is CEO of PGAL, the architecture firm that designed it.

Marla expected to enjoy a nice evening connecting with alumni from the area. What she did not expect was the honor of a Spirit of a Volunteer Award, which recognizes nonalumni friends of the university who have gone above and beyond to support and advance UT and its people.

“When my name was announced, it was a huge surprise,” says Marla. “I didn’t expect to be recognized by UT, but it is such an honor. I’m so proud of the effect that our gift is having on the students at the College of Architecture and Design. We expected it to make a difference for these students, but never expected the impact it has had on us as a family. The ongoing interaction with the university and the college has been amazing, and the love that we have received from the university, and the students and their families, has been unexpected, fun, and very rewarding.”

Read the full article and about other Spirit of A Volunteer recipients. This article was originally published on alumni.utk.edu and shared here with permission.