Part of the reason why it’s so important to give back for Kristen Johns, a proud alumna of the University of Houston, is because she was the beneficiary of a scholarship to earn her degree.
She used a full-ride scholarship from the Terry Foundation to earn her degree in organizational leadership from the College of Technology, now the Technology Division at the Cullen College of Engineering. This was after being a field electrician, estimator and project manager for more than a decade.
“I remember the challenges of learning the value of networking and community involvement. I couldn’t see beyond getting paid to run pipe and pull wire at that time,” she said. “But I pledged to give back for my Terry scholarship, and I have used my education to support helping others come to this realization faster than I did for their careers.”
Brian Mehring, now an instructional professor in Technology Leadership and Innovation Management, was instrumental in encouraging her to lead.
“He taught several of my core major classes, and then he nominated me to the UH College of Technology Alumni Association Board where I served as Treasurer and Scholarship Chair,” Johns said.
Johns has put her degree to good use, and expanded her education further, with a master’s degree in project management from Sam Houston State as well.
“At Sam Houston, I earned a PMP and Dr. Aneika Simmons was my mentor and championed my work,” Johns said.
She has been the president of her own consulting company, Triple Kore, for about a decade, in addition to holding different project manager and executive leadership positions for major electrical contracting companies in Texas.
Experienced professionals like Johns are part of the 2025 Executive Committee for the UH Energy Industry Crawfish Boil, which brings together industry, faculty, students and their respective families for a fun day on March 30 at Lynn Eusan Park on the UH Campus.
“I’m on the Crawfish Boil leadership committee to help foster development between the university and the construction industry,” she said. “I’ve been on all sides of construction from field worker to office to leadership, and I’ve learned how to use my influence to engage the construction community beyond whacking a hammer to get their 40 (hours).”
In addition to her work with UH, Johns has also serves as a committee member for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, The Woodlands Marathon, and the National Women in Construction (NAWIC) Women in Construction Week (WIC).
“I am committed to furthering the development of trades, women in construction and construction management by connecting the pipelines to business needs,” she said.
Describing herself as an “energetic social fireball that is never afraid grab life by the fun tail for a good cause,” Johns encourages anyone interested to attend this year’s crawfish boil.
“I have a vision for organizational development, and it starts with supporting gateway activities that entice the construction community to connect to the University of Houston — like a good ole Texas crawfish boil,” she said.