Retired Dennos Leader Honored

Stuff We Love

By Craig Manning | Oct. 1, 2022

Congratulations are in order for Traverse City legend Eugene Jenneman, who was recently announced as one of the four recipients for this year’s University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Alumni Association awards. Jenneman is best known in northern Michigan as the founding executive director and longtime leader of the Dennos Museum Center. Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) hired Jenneman in 1988 to pilot the museum’s early years, and he worked closely with architect Bob Holdeman to design the Dennos Museum Center and oversee its construction. When the museum opened in 1991, Jenneman stayed on as executive director, ultimately leading the Dennos until he retired in 2019. Current Dennos Executive Director Craig Hadley is just the second executive director in museum history. A 1971 alumnus of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in physical sciences, Jenneman also started a scholarship at the university intended to “provide financial support for a student pursuing an international educational experience.”