This feature is in our weekly Monday Morning Report newsletter, which showcases our highest-level members. Leaders You Should Know highlights community leaders who are making a notable impact in the Nashville region.
Click here to join our e-newsletter subscriber list.
Tell us about yourself?
I am a native Tennessean, born in Nashville and raised in Knoxville. I spent two years in Nashville after college from 1998-2000, went to Utah for three years to work the 2002 Winter Olympics and Connecticut for six years to work at ESPN. My wife and I came back to Nashville in 2009. Following my 10-year career in sports TV production, I jumped into a variety of business development roles with organizations like the Nashville Predators, Site Selection Magazine and now DLR Group. My family and I currently reside in Franklin and are raising 3 daughters that keep us busy around the clock!
Tell us about your business/industry?
DLR Group is an integrated design firm: architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, as well as many other disciplines. We have 32 domestic studios, 2 international studios, and 1,700+ employee owners firm wide. We have been performing design work in the state going back to the 2005 Tennessee Theater renovation in Knoxville, and have been involved in Higher Education, Sports, Workplace, Hospitality, Justice, Civic, Performing Arts, K-12 and Mixed-Use projects since then. There is so much promise of growth in our state in the coming decades, and we are committed to play a role in Nashville and our surrounding region’s upward trajectory.
What should we know about you?
I am an avid relationship builder, connector of people and find the ultimate joy in helping family, friends and colleagues realize success with their goals and aspirations. I love the outdoors, hiking in Utah or the Smokies with my family, skiing out west, watching my daughter’s school or club soccer games, and spending quality time with family and friends. I’m a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s films and Hans Zimmer’s soundtracks. I was also born here because my father was in the music industry, as a songwriter and producer in the early 1970s – so music is in my blood.
How did you get to your current position?
Timing and people. I always wanted to be an architect going back to my junior year in high school. I ended up not taking that path in college but being part of a design firm always intrigued me. I was in a position where a global firm wanted someone local to help grow an entrepreneurial studio, and that was of huge interest to me. Looking back on my career, all my experience working large events in the sports world like the Australian Open, French Open or Wimbledon at ESPN and bringing large teams together, or in economic development with Site Selection magazine collaborating with multiple constituents, prepared me for what we are doing here and where we are going.
What value do you see in Chamber involvement?
No matter what line of business you are in, everything you do will boil down to relationships. If you have the right relationships, healthy relationships, all parties will find success. The Chamber is a key component in this journey for me personally and for us as a firm here in Middle Tennessee.
What or who has inspired you professionally?
Two people really come top of mind. First is my father who set a great example for me when it comes to work ethic, dedication and integrity. Second is Bill Bonnell, who was my boss at ESPN. He and I worked hand in hand across 11 Grand Slam tennis events, and his level of detail and organization when it comes to day-to-day planning, forecasting, creating winning teams and placing people in positions to succeed is something that stays with me to this day.
What makes you proud to live and work in the Nashville area?
I have lived, worked, and traveled all over the country, and can attest that the best and most welcoming people I have encountered are in Middle Tennessee. Being from here, I take a sense of pride in that, which makes me more bullish in contributing to our region’s growth to maintain that sense of community that so many people relish when coming to this part of the country.
What are key trends in your industry?
My colleague Jose Sanchez recently published an article touching on Mixed-Use trends that are driving design in 2025. These trends surround Housing, Retail and Entertainment Districts and the interconnectivity with the three. Housing will be designed for connection and flexibility to include higher ed housing that embraces technology and hospitality driven amenities, it will have a generational impact through affordable housing, and it will revitalize urban cores through adaptive reuse. Retail will be rooted in local identity that will be community-centered and take into consideration placemaking and walkability. Entertainment Districts will be inspired by place, rooted in the locale, and flexible, adaptive spaces that evolve with trends. We also see Entertainment Districts as key economic drivers for a community and catalysts for community and economic growth. DLR Group’s tagline is Elevate the Human Experience Through Design, and we see the future of Mixed-Use enabling us to create these types of spaces.
What was the first concert you ever attended? What is the best live show you’ve seen in Nashville?
The first concert I ever attended was Van Halen in 1986 at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. This was the 5150 Tour and Van Halen’s first album with Sammy Hagar. Bachman Turner Overdrive was the opener, and I was in the 6th grade. I actually went to the concert myself and convinced my mother to drop me off and pick me up from the show. Eddie Van Halen was my favorite guitarist at the time, so I was over the moon to get the chance to see him live. The best show I’ve seen in Nashville was Phish at Starwood Amphitheater in April 2000. They hadn’t played a live show since New Year’s Eve 1999, so they wanted to make this one special. Their entire first set they turned each of their songs into a Bluegrass rendition and incorporated Nashville studio players into each song, one by one. By the 9th song of the set, the band was 10 deep with Bluegrass musicians on stage. It was one of the most unique and unexpected shows I’ve ever been to.
