Congratulations to Kate Kearney for being chosen as the winter 2019 recipient of SMPS Oregon’s Lynn Parsons Educational Scholarship.

Kate started her career in A/E/C marketing seven years ago and now is an Associate at Peter Meijer Architect, a local architecture firm specializing in the reuse and adaptability of existing and historic buildings. As a firm leader, Kate is responsible for leading and managing multifaceted marketing and communications deliverables at a boutique architecture firm committed to the reuse and adaptability of existing and historic built environments.

She has been a member of SMPS Oregon since 2013 and served on the board as the Director of Communications and Director of Industry Outreach. She has also served for several years as a mentor on the SMPS Oregon Mentorship Roundtable. In addition to her volunteer efforts with SMPS Oregon, Kate has also served as the Oregon President of Docomomo, a non-profit organization dedicated to the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement.

When asked how SMPS has benefited her both professionally and personally, she had this to say: The professional development skills acquired from participating on roundtables, volunteering on committees and the board, are benefits I did not anticipate when becoming a member. The benefit of these skills extend far beyond my day-to-day tasks and role within my firm. Additionally, the friendships gained from working with colleagues on committees and the board are an added, delightful bonus.

What some of the judges had to say: “Ultimately, I looked at who provided the best plan for giving back to the Chapter that would reach the most SMPS Oregon members. Lynn was really good at connecting people in our industry so I really looked at which applicant would connect the learned information with the most people. I felt that Kate had a more detailed plan for getting information that she learned back out to the Chapter members so that everyone can benefit from her scholarship award.”

With her scholarship, Kate will attend Portland State University’s Center for Executive and Professional Education in the Design Thinking & Innovation Certificate Program with the intention to better understand client needs and experience by learning how to cultivate better communication methods, build stronger relationships between her firm and its clients, and improve her overall confidence in managing and navigating ever changing service techniques and methodologies.

The purpose of this scholarship fund is to fulfill our organization’s vision to transform business through marketing leadership. The SMPS Oregon Board of Directors created the Lynn Parsons Educational Scholarship to provide current chapter members with the opportunity to pursue ongoing professional development. The scholarship is named in remembrance of the late Lynn Parsons, who was a beloved ambassador of our marketing community. We will open up the application process again in early 2020. If you’re interested in applying, please read the Scholarship Program page on our website for more information. Applications for the Fall/Winter 2019 scholarship were judged by two SMPS Chapter presidents from outside of the Oregon Chapter, along with SMPS Oregon’s current president, McKenzie Richardson, and the Director-at-Large, Paige Viehouser.