The legacy of Glenn Green, our 12-year-old intern

July 23, 2015

Can a kid build a legacy in five days? Ask anyone at McKinney, and they’ll tell you, yes, if that kid is Glenn Green. Last week we had the pleasure of working with this aspiring art director from the Emily K. Center. And it really was a pleasure. Below, people who worked with him each day and others who met him by chance in the office share their impressions of Glenn, the youngest intern ever hired by an ad agency.

Ray Boome, Associate Creative Director

“The ideas he had were insightful and thoughtful, with a reason for every detail at the ready. He listened hard and reacted well to feedback, which is unusual for someone his age. I knew working with him would be fun, but I didn’t expect him to be so mature. I think he was more mature than everyone in the creative department! And he had such a positive outlook on everything, which can be rare in our industry. I also taught him how to play pool, so he’d come hit me up for a game.”

Ellen Springer, Associate Creative Director

“We may have gotten more out of Glenn’s internship than he did. You don’t always get to use your powers for good in this business, so being able to give back and have it make a difference was awesome. You could tell it meant something to him. Glenn had two ideas for this year’s Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands award, and they were both very good. We talked about the ideas and then about how to make them happen, which he was able to understand — that ideas require doing. He wanted to see it through.”

Walt Barron, Head of Account Planning

“When I was Glenn’s age, you couldn’t find 12-year-old who knew he wanted to go into advertising. Glenn wanted to make ads, and it shows you how the perception of agencies has changed in a generation or two. ‘Mad Men’ has a lot to do with it, but I also think that many entertainers are multifaceted — musicians have their own businesses on the side, are involved in creation of other forms of art. Kids know that thanks to the Internet. It can be hard to be what you can’t see, and Glenn is a great example of a kid who has seen what he can be early on.”

Renee Montpetit, Agency Communications Coordinator

“He was so clear-minded about what he wanted to do here, so doing the interviews with Digiday and Durham Magazine reporters was perfect. He took the opportunity to learn from the people he spoke with as well. He was so relaxed through the whole thing, exceptionally articulate and respectful. At one point, he asked Brad Brinegar what it’s like to be a CEO of an agency and Jonathan Cude what makes an idea good. With Glenn, there was no ego to get in the way of his curiosity, and that’s something we could all learn from.”