Gresham Smith Announces Expansion of 2022 Executive Management Team, Selection of New Members

August 4, 2021

Gresham Smith, a top-ranked national architecture and engineering firm with more than $200 million in annual gross revenue announced the expansion of its Executive Management Team effective January 2022. Peter Oram, Market Vice President for the firm’s Transportation and Water + Environment businesses, has been selected as Gresham Smith’s incoming Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Kelly Knight Hodges, Market Vice President for the firm’s Corporate + Urban Design business, has been selected as Chief Development and Engagement Officer (CDO), a new role that expands Gresham Smith’s Executive Management team from four to five members.

“Succession planning of our Executive Management Team is a critical component of our continued success,” said Chairman and CEO Al Pramuk. “The addition of Kelly as Chief Development and Engagement Officer is a strategic move that will enhance our focus on the development and growth of our people, client experience and our community engagement initiatives.”

Oram will succeed Rodney Chester, the firm’s current COO. As previously announced, Chester will succeed Al Pramuk as CEO in 2022 as part of the firm’s leadership succession plan. Pramuk will continue to actively serve as Chairman of the firm’s Board of Directors.

“Peter’s accomplishments include developing and implementing focused strategies to support company growth and operational improvements,” said Chester. “I am confident that his deep expertise, combined with his open communication style, will serve us well as we develop and execute our 2025 Strategic Plan, and as we continue to fulfill our vision of being a market leader building value with our clients, our people and the world.”

Effective in 2022, the Executive Management Team will be comprised of five members: Rodney Chester as Chief Executive Officer, Peter Oram as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer Dwayne West, Chief Strategy Officer Randy Gibson, and Kelly Knight Hodges as Chief Development and Engagement Officer.

About Peter Oram
Peter Oram has more than 30 years of operational, technical and business growth experience working with both public- and private-sector clients. Since joining the firm in 2016, he has created and implemented focused strategies to promote leadership development and improve operations. During his tenure as MVP, the Transportation market experienced improved profitability, significant expansion and diversification, and increased project collaboration across the firm’s businesses. As MVP of the Water + Environment market, Oram focused on improving profitability and project delivery, and enhancing a people-centric workforce development culture.

About Kelly Knight Hodges
Kelly Knight Hodges has been a member of Gresham Smith’s Board of Directors since 2020. She has more than 25 years of project experience, including a demonstrated record of success over her 20 years at Gresham Smith serving in a variety of technical, operational and client development roles.

A highly recognized and respected executive in the Nashville area business community, Hodges was named a Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal and is a member of the Board of the Directors for the NAIOP Nashville chapter, where she serves on the Developing Leaders Committee. Hodges also sits on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee and previously chaired the Nashville Chamber of Commerce Partnership 2020 Economic Development Committee. She is a former member of the Programming Committee for Advancing Women in Nashville (AWIN).