Kenneth “Kenny” Smith has been selected as the recipient of ENR Texas & Louisiana’s seventh annual Legacy Award.
This program was added to our annual awards line up in order to recognize industry veterans with many years of experience and long lists of contributions to their profession and community. In choosing this year’s recipient, ENR’s editors weighed several criteria, including each nominee’s history of innovation, outstanding career highlights and an engagement within the industry and the surrounding community.
Smith has been with T. Baker Smith, the firm his grandfather founded in 1913, since graduating from Louisiana Tech University in 1986. He has served as president and CEO for the last 20 years, during which time he has focused heavily on mentoring and supporting professionals in the AEC industry to grow and develop. To that end, he has driven TBS’ investment of over $6 million supporting associates in acquiring bachelor’s and master’s degrees, professional certifications and safety training, and more.
Under Smith’s leadership, TBS has grown from 80 associates and one office in 2001 to nearly 250 across nine offices.
Smith has also become a leader on hurricane and flooding issues across Louisiana and is an active member of Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Restore or Retreat. He has also advocated for restoration and protection in Washington, D.C., and even wore a life jacket to meetings with government officials to express the importance of protection before residents would be required to swim their way to safety.
Look for an in-depth profile highlighting Smith’s career and achievements that will be included in the Feb. 1, 2021 issue of ENR Texas & Louisiana.
