A Career Worth Celebrating

BDH honors the retirement of its longtime Principal and former Managing Partner after more than 40 years of leadership, partnership, and purpose.

After more than 40 years at BDH, Kim Dennis, CID, IIDA, LEED AP, will retire at the end of May. As the firm's longtime Principal and former Managing Partner, and the "D" of BDH, she has shaped the firm's identity, its reputation, and the careers of countless designers who have come through its doors.

Kim joined BDH in the mid-1980s when founder Kathy Young invited her, alongside Jill Brecount and Darcy Hield, to become the firm's second generation of ownership. Together, they grew BDH from a small design studio into one of the most recognized interior architecture and design firms in the Twin Cities.

Kim built her career in workplace design, becoming one of the region's most trusted voices in the field. Her relationships are a reflection of how Kim has always worked: by investing deeply in each client's goals and earning the kind of trust that turns a single project into decade-long partnerships. Her portfolio over 40 years includes work for CLA, Ameriprise Financial, Cargill, Nestle USA, MN United, and many others across the Twin Cities and beyond.

Kim's influence in the Twin Cities commercial real estate community reaches well beyond her project work. She was named one of the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal's "25 Women to Watch" and is a LEED Accredited Professional with a longstanding commitment to sustainability in the built environment. She served on the NAIOP Minnesota Board of Directors and chaired the organization's Special Events committee, and has been actively involved in IIDA, MNCAR, MNCREW, and SIOR. She has spoken on numerous industry panels and lent her expertise to multiple Boards of Directors throughout her career. Kim is currently a Trustee on the NDSU Foundation Board and the SoDAA (School of Design, Architecture and Art) Advisory Board. Kim built a network of relationships across the CRE and design industries that has opened doors not only for BDH, but also for the professionals she has mentored.

In 2023, Kim and her business partner, Jill Brecount, completed the transition of ownership to BDH's third generation: Joyce Stupnik, Todd Mulvihill, Beth Nordstrom, and Angela Moore. They had no shortage of options for what that transition could look like, but keeping BDH independent and locally owned was never really a question. They wanted the firm's future in the hands of the people who understood it best. That choice says as much about Kim as any project in her portfolio.

The workplace practice Kim spent four decades building continues under the leadership of professionals she helped develop. Sheila Mozayeny-Hale, Project Executive; Emily Marden, Project Manager and Business Development Coordinator; and Derek Lillo, Project Manager, carry forward the same standard of client partnership and design quality that has defined BDH's workplace portfolio from the beginning.

BDH wishes Kim all the best as she steps into retirement. Her last day with the firm is May 29. She leaves behind a practice built on relationships, a team built on mentorship, and a standard of work that will continue to define this company long after her last day. The firm she helped build is stronger because of her, and BDH will carry that forward with pride.