Mike Sewell Selected as Chief Digital Transformation Officer; Kelly Knight Hodges Selected as Chief Growth and Client Experience Officer
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gresham Smith, a premier architecture, engineering and consultancy services firm, is pleased to announce that Mike Sewell has been selected for the firm’s newly created position of Chief Digital Transformation Officer. Kelly Knight Hodges has transitioned into the newly created role of Chief Growth and Client Experience Officer. Both were effective on January 1, 2026.
“As our clients and communities navigate rapid change, digital innovation and an exceptional client experience are more important than ever to our long-term success,” said Rodney Chester, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair. “Mike and Kelly are proven leaders who deeply understand our markets, our clients and our culture. Their new roles will enable us to deliver on several priorities outlined in our Strategic Direction and further our Core Purpose: to plan, design and consult to create healthy and thriving communities.”
As Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Sewell will help guide technological evolution at Gresham Smith by defining and leading firm-wide digital strategies that integrate cutting-edge technologies, innovation, data analytics and new methodologies. In his previous role as Director of Innovation, Sewell established himself as a nationally recognized thought leader who frequently speaks about the impact of new technology and AI on the industry.
As Chief Growth and Client Experience Officer, Hodges responsibilities include firmwide growth initiatives and guiding the firm’s market leaders in data-informed growth strategies that align client relationships, market expansions and business development with the firm’s long term strategic goals. Hodges previously served on the management team as the firm’s Chief Development and Engagement Officer.
Members of Gresham Smith’s management team also include CEO and Board Chair Rodney Chester, Chief Operating Officer Peter Oram, and Chief Financial and Risk Officer Dwayne West.
About Mike Sewell
Prior to becoming Director of Innovation in 2023, Sewell served in leadership positions within the Transportation market where he focused on integrating emerging technologies into traditional engineering and architecture services to develop transportation systems that enhanced safety and end-user experience.
As a recognized expert in road safety, Sewell developed the patented MPATH: Empathic Insights platform, which quantifies emotional responses to the built environment. MPATH earned both Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Award and Architect Magazine’s R+D Award. In addition, his leadership in innovation led to Gresham Smith’s recognition as one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies. He currently sits on Fast Company‘s Impact Council, an invitation-only collective comprised of the most innovative leaders in business. Mike has also served on the Gresham Smith Board of Directors since 2024.
Outside of Gresham Smith, Sewell serves on the Board of Directors for the League of American Bicyclists and has testified before Congress on multimodal safety, connectivity and transportation funding. He has served on Gresham Smith’s Board of Directors since 2024.
About Kelly Knight Hodges
Having served in a variety of technical, operational and client-development roles in her 20+ years at Gresham Smith, Hodges has consistently demonstrated an ability to foster enduring client relationships. She has served on Gresham Smith’s Board of Directors since 2020 and took on the role of Chief Development and Engagement Officer in 2022. Previously, Hodges served as the Market Vice President for the firm’s Life and Work Places market, leading market operations in Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte and Tampa.
Outside of the firm, Hodges is a highly recognized and respected executive in the Nashville-area business community. She is Chair of the Nashville Downtown Partnership Board of Directors, was a member of the Class of 2025 Leadership Nashville, and sits on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee.
About Gresham Smith
We are a premier architecture, engineering and consultancy services firm providing a full suite of solutions to private- and public-sector clients. With $355 million in annual gross revenue and 27 offices throughout the United States, we operate across eight strategic sectors: aviation, building engineering, healthcare, industrial, land planning, life and work places, transportation, and water and environment.
Recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and repeatedly listed as a “Best Place to Work,” we are committed to delivering on our Core Purpose—to plan, design and consult to create healthy and thriving communities—through our brand promise of Genuine Ingenuity.
Learn more at GreshamSmith.com.
SOURCE Gresham Smith
