SmithGroup has promoted Tricia Beck, Patty Boyle, Ann Kenyon, ZY Liu and Lori Singleton to vice president.
Tricia Beck, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, is promoted to vice president, continuing in her role as the Higher Education studio leader for the firm’s Detroit office. In this position she serves as a leader on a variety of the firm’s higher education projects, including serving as the senior project manager for the award-winning, LEED Gold Valley Dining Center at Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan School of Dentistry expansion and renovation that broke ground in late 2018. She also currently serves as the principal in charge for the firm’s University of Tennessee at Martin Latimer Engineering & Science Building project. In each of these roles she demonstrates her passion for creating places that inspire higher learning, are equitable for a diverse tapestry of students and are strategic in their design vision.
Beck has been with the firm since 2012, and is a graduate of Lawrence Technological University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in architecture as well as a Master of Architecture. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Michigan chapter and AIA Detroit and a graduate of Leadership Oakland. Beck, a native of Holland, Mich., now resides in Clarkston, Mich.
Patty Boyle, AIA, LEED AP, is promoted to vice president and continues in her role as SmithGroup’s corporate director of architecture. In this role, she is responsible for driving strategies for innovation in project delivery. Among the firmwide initiatives she leads is an interdisciplinary effort to establish processes and tools that guide and reinforce a culture of quality and technical design excellence. Additionally, she is creating a “career roadmap” for the firm’s staff. This interactive platform clarifies roles, career paths and the expectations for development and leadership. Boyle also serves as a senior project architect for some of the firm’s most complex work, including the award-winning Stephen A. Levin Neural & Behavioral Sciences Building at the University of Pennsylvania and multiple projects for Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering.
Boyle joined SmithGroup in 1998 and is an active member of AIA Detroit, serving as the organization’s vice president and president-elect in 2019. She is a graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology where she received a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Boyle currently resides in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.
Ann Kenyon, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is promoted to vice president, continuing as the Health studio leader at the firm’s Detroit office. Her expertise is centered on strategic planning for health systems as well as designing facilities to serve the specialized needs of oncology, acute care and ambulatory care. Her project experience includes serving as the principal in charge for a variety of the firm’s healthcare projects across the region, including the Detroit Medical Center Sinai Grace Hospital expansion, Karmanos Cancer Institute and South Tower expansion at McLaren Port Huron and the Beaumont Health System Proton Therapy Center.
Kenyon has been with SmithGroup since 2008 and is a member of AIA Huron Valley chapter. She holds a Bachelor of Science in architecture and a Master of Architecture, both from the University of Michigan. Originally from Rosebush, Mich., Kenyon currently lives in Wixom, Mich.
ZY Liu, PhD,PE, LEED AP, is promoted to vice president and continues to serve as chief structural engineer. In this role, he strives to find safe, economical and creative structural solutions to address the challenges from his design partners. His recent work includes the expansive Wanxiang Innova City in Hangzhou China as well as multiple projects at the University of Michigan, including the recently completed Biological Sciences Building and the renovation and expansion of the Literature, Science and the Arts building.
Liu is a member of Structural Engineers Association of Michigan and has been with SmithGroup since 1991. He holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Tongji University, a Master of Science in structural engineering from the University of Michigan and a PhD in structural engineering from the University of Michigan. Originally from Xiangshan, Zhejiang in China, Liu currently lives in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Lori Singleton, PLA, ASLA, is promoted to vice president and continues to serve as a corporate design director for the firm. Singleton’s work for the firm includes her role as the lead site designer for The District Detroit and Little Caesars Arena, a 50-block mixed-use development in the heart of the city. Additional project highlights include the University of Michigan Biological Sciences Building and the United States Consulate in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In all of her project work, Lori demonstrates her passion for how design can create places of inspiration and foster experiences that allow people to connect to the space and each other.
Singleton joined SmithGroup in 2013 and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. She is a graduate of Michigan State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture. She is originally from Livonia, Mich. and currently lives in Ann Arbor, Mich.