New Board Members and Senior Vice Presidents, Thomas “Topper” Parham AIA and Jasper Cornett AIA
We are pleased to announce that Thomas “Topper” Parham AIA and Jasper Cornett AIA have been promoted to Senior Vice President and named to the KPS Group, Inc. Board of Directors. Both Jasper and Topper have served in key leadership roles at KPS for several years. They join existing Board members Donald Simpson AIA, President; Donna Dowling IIDA, Director of Interiors; and Kristine Harding FAIA, Huntsville Studio Director as part of the firm’s third generation of leadership since its founding in 1965. Their addition to the firm’s senior leadership team assures continuity and stability across all practice areas and is a commitment to our clients, our employees, and the values that have contributed to our success.
This expansion of the Board reflects KPS Group’s recognition of the next generation of emerging leadership and our commitment to maintaining the firm’s stability for both clients and employees.
Meet Our New Senior Vice Presidents
Jasper Cornett, AIA, LEED® AP | Senior Vice President
Jasper Cornett has a passion for design and an ability to forge enduring connections with both clients and peers. With a diverse portfolio spanning aviation, institutional, education, hospitality, and corporate buildings across the country, his long-term relationships with clients like the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and the Lakeshore Foundation are a testament to his ability to synthesize the needs of multi-faceted stakeholders with differing priorities into a cohesive vision embraced by all.
Jasper has led many technically demanding, one-of-a-kind projects during his tenure at KPS including the Barber Vintage MotorSports Museum and the Stran-Hardin Arena at the University of Alabama – the only new collegiate basketball facility in the United States designed for adapted athletics. Among his noteworthy projects are the recently completed 2222 Arlington building, the LEED Gold, $200M Terminal Modernization & Expansion Program and $46M Rental Car QTA at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, the Lakeshore Foundation’s Multipurpose Recreation Facility (and home of the US Paralympic Rugby Team), and the I-3 Academy charter school. Current projects include a $90M new corporate campus for Bank Independent, the US Space & Rocket Center’s Master Plan and Inspiration 4 Skills Training Facility, and the new Tramont luxury condominium tower.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Architecture, Jasper is a registered architect in both Alabama and New York. He is NCARB certified and a USGBC LEED Accredited Professional. He joined KPS Group in 1993.
Contact Jasper | jcornett@kpsgroup.com
Thomas “Topper” Parham, AIA, AAH | Senior Vice President & Director of Healthcare Design
A career specialist in healthcare design, Topper Parham has over 20 years of experience and an extensive portfolio that encompasses the comprehensive range of healthcare-related projects nationwide including hospitals, medical office buildings, physician practices, surgery centers, and senior assisted living. His collaborative approach and focus on accountability have earned him a loyal client base that trust him to look after their best interests.
Topper has been instrumental in establishing KPS Group as one of Birmingham’s leading providers of healthcare design and oversees these projects firmwide. The firm has secured dozens of projects across the healthcare and senior living spectrum under his leadership including the new $300M UAB Medical West Replacement Hospital campus in McCalla, ambulatory surgery centers across the country, the headquarters clinic of Birmingham Orthodontics, upgrades to the UAB Highlands Hospital and Medical Office Building, and the interior development of the Grandview Hospital Medical Office Building. Topper is the current president-elect of AIA Birmingham and an active participant in both the American Institute of Architects and the Academy of Architecture for Health. He has been a guest lecturer for the UAB Master of Healthcare Administration program.
Topper earned his Master of Architecture & Health from Clemson University’s prestigious graduate studies program. A registered architect in Alabama and NCARB certified, he joined the firm in 2017.
Contact Topper | tparham@kpsgroup.com