Jeanne Picht and Michele Bendekovic Receive the 2016 PDC Richard Pearson Award

December 22, 2016 (McLean, VA) The Professional Development Consortium (PDC) is pleased to announce the 2016 recipients of the PDC Richard Pearson Award, Michele Bendekovic, Director of Attorney Development & Diversity,

Bass Berry & Sims and Jeanne Picht, Director, Attorney Talent Strategy, Fenwick & West LLP. The award was presented on November 30, 2016 at the PDC Winter Meeting held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC.  

This award was established in memory of Richard Pearson, long-time PDC member and stalwart in the legal professional development community.  Pearson, whose previous positions included serving as Chief Learning & Development Officer at Davis Wright & Tremaine LLP in Seattle, died suddenly in March of 2014 while rowing, one of his passions.  Richard left behind an impressive legacy of innovation and collaboration as a legal PD professional.  He was a true thought-leader.  Richard served on the PDC Board from 2011 through 2013.

Michele Bendekovic received this award in recognition of her innovative spirit, a commitment to mentoring and a lifelong love of learning.  Michele has been involved in attorney professional development and recruiting for over 20 years. In her position as Director of Attorney Development and Diversity at Bass Berry & Sims, Michele leads continuing educational programs that focus on the professional, intellectual, and personal development of attorneys, with an emphasis on the collaborative process of strengthening attorneys’ core competencies.  Michele has been a member of the PDC since 2001, and has served on several PDC committees including the Nominations and Membership Committees.

The committee also honored Jeanne Picht, Director, Attorney Talent Strategy at Fenwick & West LLP. Jeanne has been an active member of the PDC since 2003, serving on the Board of Directors and on multiple committees, including as Chair of the 2016 Summer Conference Committee. She has broad experience coaching individuals for career and personal success and identifying high potentials for management. She frequently presents at national industry conferences and has delivered over one hundred educational presentations during her career. Her love of learning extends beyond her work with the PDC, and she is currently studying for her SPHR certification from SHRM.

“We’re so pleased that the PDC created this award to celebrate Richard’s lasting legacy within our industry.  At the same time, we’re delighted to honor both Jeanne and Michele for their admirable accomplishments and contributions to our profession. Jeanne and Michele are both vital members of our PDC community and extremely deserving of this important honor” said Amy Hancock, PDC Chair.

For more information about PDC, please contact Sally Burroughs, PDC Account Executive, at sburroughs@pdclegal.org or 703-506-2027.