CMH ARCHITECTS - Key Persons
Allen McCulla can build anything. In his spare time, he has built fine furniture, complex metalwork, and he's currently rebuilding a vintage inboard ski boat. "I like figuring out the details and how things go together," says Allen of his hobby. It's this creative mindset that makes him the go-to guy when it comes to solving complex designs that are buildable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. We rely on Allen to work out construction issues on extremely challenging projects and to communicate to the contractor how to build that project. We have a "Brass Handle" award that we give each year to the employee who has solved the most difficult problems of any project we've designed that year. Allen has been the consistent recipient of that award.
Allen has extensive experience with different project types, including retail, healthcare, educational, institutional, and office buildings. He has managed both ground-up and renovation projects from initial programming through construction for clients ranging from private to local, state, and federal government. He holds Bachelor's degrees in both Architecture and Building Science from Auburn University.
Job Titles:
- Intern Architect & Project Manager
"She is the most thorough and organized person I think I have ever known," says CMH Executive Vice President Mike Tillman of Ashley Campbell, which is saying something, because the competition for organized individuals at CMH is stiff. Ashley has a commitment to a very high level of quality and will go the distance to ensure that her projects meet that standard of excellence.
The Mobile, Alabama, native moved to Birmingham in 2008 after graduating from Auburn University. Ashley initially went to Auburn to study veterinary medicine with dreams of becoming a zoo vet or studying animal behavior in Africa. However, after her second year as a pre-vet/zoology major, she faced a tough decision over which lifelong passion of hers would ultimately decide her career: her love of animals or her love of art and math. Obviously, she chose the latter and earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree.
Since joining the CMH team in 2012, Ashley has worked on several large commercial and lifestyle centers from design development through construction administration, a leg of the process that Ashley takes seriously. She writes the most thorough job site reports and is a force to be reckoned with for those who try to take shortcuts.
When she's not taking names on job sites, she enjoys baking, photography, learning foreign languages, and hanging with friends and family. Cheering on her Auburn Tigers and Chicago Cubs is also a pretty big deal. Lastly, her love of animals still shines through when it comes to the topic of her 1-year-old German Shepherd mix, Rizzo. "He is still in the puppy phase so he can be crazy at times and loves to destroy everything," says Ashley. "But deep down, he is the sweetest dog and loves to snuggle and give kisses."
Job Titles:
- Quality Control & Construction Administrator
Billy Morace is unique among our senior staff in that he is a former client of CMH-as Director of the General Services Department for Jefferson County, Alabama, Billy was responsible for supervising the design and construction of all new buildings, renovations, and maintenance for over 6,000,000 square feet of municipal facilities. This experience gives him an owner's perspective of dealing with budgeting, the design, and construction process, and understanding the importance of design on long-term maintenance and staffing requirements.
He has an outstanding ability to prepare thorough and accurate budgets, which include not only construction costs but also fees, furnishings, and equipment-this is crucial for an owner to know the "all in" cost of a project, but is often not included in budgets prepared by other architects or contractors. He excels at programming, quality control, and construction administration services.
Billy holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from UAB. He is Co-Chairman of the Children's Harbor/Magic Moments Annual Sporting Clay Shoot, which has raised over $2M for seriously ill children and their families.
If you are around Billy at Christmas, you'll notice his beard is getting much longer because he's preparing for his role as Santa for 100+ children at the Exceptional Foundation and for 100+ indigent children in Leeds.
Blake Nelson joined CMH upon graduation from Auburn University in 1998 and became owner in 2011. As Senior Vice President of the firm, Blake possesses a wealth of experience in many of our building types. He is a seasoned pro with a preternatural gift for the profession. Once a client has worked with Blake, he is the only architect that the client wants managing their project. He is remarkably calm and easygoing in a profession that can be trying. But Blake sees each challenge as an opportunity to solve a problem and create another innovative design solution. Blake is also a talented communicator and works well with others. To put it simply and in his own words: "I think a good architect has not only the required knowledge of and experience in the profession but a lack of ego and the ability to create spaces that make life better."
Blake has experience in K-12 schools, as well as several projects for Auburn University, and many mixed-use projects that include retail, office, and residential components.
When Blake is away from the office, he's most likely running, mountain biking, or doing other things in the great outdoors. He is also deeply involved in his church, where he is a founding member and a deacon. And Blake likes everything about cars-washing, detailing, and driving them. In short, his driving persona is much like his professional demeanor: focused, detailed, considerate, direct-and always with an eye on the final destination.
A previous CMH intern herself, Bradford Moore Smith made the move to Birmingham to rejoin CMH in an official capacity as an intern architect in 2023. Her love for architecture blossomed during her childhood while exploring the buildings and cathedrals of Europe with her parents and two sisters. Bradford pursued her Bachelor of Architecture at Auburn University, graduated, and went to work at a firm where she gained experience project-planning and designing residential projects, as well as a wide range of commercial project types-including healthcare, hospitality, education, religious, retail, and municipal.
She appreciates the range of work CMH offers, saying, "I love designing a variety of spaces and seeing how those spaces positively impact the lives of individuals…I believe the opportunity to design a diverse array of spaces and to work with clients from a spectrum of industries allows us to grow as designers, continuously expanding our creativity and further understanding how other people and businesses interact every day."
When Bradford is not working at CMH, she is adding more stamps to her passport with her husband, hanging out with friends and family, or curating her wardrobe with her latest fashion finds. The self-described "Swiftie" has watched every episode of all 10 seasons of Friends 17 times. We've crunched the numbers and that comes to a grand total of 4,012 episodes watched. "Pivot!"
Job Titles:
- Graphic & Environmental Designer
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President
- Creative Director
Derek Carson started at CMH early in his career, not long after earning his Bachelor of Industrial Design from Auburn University. He is an incredible talent when it comes to creating compelling graphic presentations, conceptual studies for building designs, and 3D visuals for proposals and marketing purposes through his involvement in the design process. He returned to the firm in 2018 after six productive years of running his own design business, so he also has a keen business sense.
When he's not at work, you can find Derek holding his wife's purse while she is shopping, or holding his sons' used Popsicle sticks as they eat more Popsicles. He is really good at holding things! In his spare time (between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. while his family is asleep), Derek enjoys running really, really far on nature trails. His farthest run was a leisurely 74-mile jog through the mountains. It's easy, then, to understand why Forrest Gump is his favorite movie. When he can't escape to the woods for a daylong gallop, he finds physical gratification in making quotidian chores feats of gargantuan strength, such as making only one trip from the car to the house with a week's worth of groceries.
Most architects can only do architecture, but Everett Hatcher is not your typical architect. He began his practice at the age of 15 as an architectural intern, followed by architecture studies at Auburn University, where he also briefly served as an instructor of design, but he also went on to cofound CMH in 1980. And for nearly 40 years, Everett has proven that he not only has a command of the practical realities of architecture and construction, he also has a superior understanding of how to make a business work. He understands the financial implications of each decision and has prioritized making good decisions for the long-term, as well as in the moment.
"I really enjoy interacting with our clients, learning about their work and then being able to make them more successful because of our designs is very fulfilling for me," says Everett, who is a master of engaging with people in any given format. He easily connects with people on a personal level, and at the end of the day, in a business that is all about relationships, that skill set is what keeps CMH engaged in new and exciting projects.
He has an innate ability to know when a project works and when it doesn't. He can easily gauge the progression of the firm's projects without having to micromanage, but he also has a knack for hiring talent he doesn't have to micromanage. "Most of the staff have been with CMH for a long time," says Everett. "We have developed a respect for each other and a trust that each of us gives 110% to our work." In the CMH studio, Everett lets his inner design instructor out with the architectural interns, where he shines as a mentor, helping them hone their craft and apply it to real-world scenarios.
When he's not working, Everett is either painting wildlife and landscapes, out exploring the great outdoors, or he's supporting conservation initiatives. "I love being outdoors, whether it's fishing, hunting, sailing, or watching my bird dogs work," he says. "Conservation of our resources is very important to me."
Job Titles:
- Intern Architect & Project Manager
Geoffrey Hyche is someone who everybody at CMH wants on their project team-he's always one of the people who are fought over. And it's because he's not only very well organized and extremely detail-oriented, but he makes working with him fun. When it comes to Geoff, people toss around phrases like "a ray of sunshine," "best personality," "funny," "great attitude," and "a joy."
But when he is not making people smile, he gets serious about work, producing thorough construction documents with the direct aim of making the entire construction process go as smoothly as possible. He can navigate very complicated tasks, whether it's a tenant prototype set or just getting something organized for submission to a city. He focuses and consistently produces thoughtfully prepared and extremely organized documents, and his colleagues never have to second-guess a thing.
"I love architecture, because I love knowing, in some way, no matter how small, I am contributing to a better-built environment for people," says Geoff. He has worked for CMH for over 10 years and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University."
I play saxophone," says the self-professed ‘Band Geek for Life,' adding, "Look out, Kenny G." Geoffrey loves Disney, and as a child, he dreamt of being an architect of theme parks. These days, he travels to Disney theme parks (at least once a year), as well as other destinations-Hawaii and Bonaire being among his recent faves-and his desk is a colorful shrine to his travels. In fact, his workspace is a perfect reflection of the man: thoroughly organized and filled with personality.
Jeff Tosh is able to perform under pressure. He can dive into a project and quickly wrap his head around new construction types or new materials on a tight timeframe. Jeff is adept at understanding the complexities of a sophisticated project. And he has a great personality, which makes him a natural when it comes to engaging with clients and building good relationships with contractors as he ensures client needs and CMH designs are protected.
Jeff has been with CMH since 2005 and besides being a veteran of high-end residential housing projects, he has designed and managed construction for religious facilities, libraries, fire stations, retail, restaurants, offices, and healthcare facilities.
He has a terrific sense of humor, as evidenced by his musings on wearing shorts: "I feel that I am fairly easy on the eyes in a pair of shorts," and the perfect drink: "I like a good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a little bit of the good, small, crunchy nugget ice in a Styrofoam cup with a splash of Rose' to top it off. I throw in a colorful, tropical-looking umbrella every now and then for effect." This lighthearted attitude also makes him a fun (and very proud) dad to his daughters, LilyBeth and Tallulah, and their older brother, Sims, who is following in his dad's footsteps as an all-star athlete.
Jeffrey Black remembers being eye-level with the drafting tables, scattered with blueprints, pencils, scales, and levels at his father's architecture firm. As a young man, he followed in his father's footsteps, studying architecture at Auburn University. Jeff joined CMH in 1987 after earning his Bachelor of Architecture, making him the firm's longest continuing employee. He has worked on many different types of buildings, including commercial and institutional projects.
CMH relies on Jeff to tackle some of our most difficult tasks and complex projects. It's rare to find people who are really good at understanding topography and knowing how to work with it to make successful projects. Jeff excels in this regard. He is an expert in masterplanning to determine the viability of a site-a valuable asset for all client types. Moreover, Jeff's in-depth understanding of the construction side is consistently evidenced by his mastery of the technical details and his ability to put a building together.
When he is not designing spaces that work for CMH clients, he's creating projects in his backyard that give back to nature (and his friends' and family's taste buds). He has a small vegetable and herb garden, chickens producing fresh eggs daily, and it's his second year as a beekeeper. "I have a couple of beehives and pull honey each summer," says Jeff. "Last year, I pulled 60 pounds of honey, and this year, we pulled 80 pounds."
Joan Parker handles all financial and personnel-related matters for CMH. No matter how troublesome and complicated the billing on a project gets, Joan tackles it with patience and perseverance-due in part to her 30 years of experience in both public and private sector accounting, but also due in part to her talent and lifelong passion for accounting. As a girl, she took inventory of her Halloween candy and drafted promissory notes for Monopoly playmates.
"I love the daily work of keeping the financial side of the business running, even though most think it would drive them crazy," says Joan. Every penny matters to Joan. She takes the lead and engages consultants, clients, and CMH staff to keep things organized, and she has streamlined and improved the firm's financial system since taking over the books in 2010.
Joan holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The University of Alabama. In her time away from work, she is often planning elaborately themed parties (Think: Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Stranger Things) with her two boys.
John Wood, a proud Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, is surrounded in a den of Auburn University Tigers at CMH. Since joining the firm in 2005 as a project architect, he has led a variety of design projects in retail, corporate office, mixed-use, food service, churches, and educational facilities. As Vice President, John directs the firm's higher education design studio, where he has added a list of successful university projects for The University of Alabama and UAB to his design portfolio.
Clients enjoy working with John because he understands how to manage fixed budgets, tight deadlines, and the complexity of every component in the design and construction of educational projects. At times, John's voice can be heard clearly throughout the office while on the phone advocating for his clients.
John has more degrees than a thermometer and continues to educate and develop himself, not only as an architect but also as a person. He is involved and engaged with his community, church, and family. Fun fact: John graduated from the Colorado Outward Bound Semester Leadership Course. Having benefited tremendously from this outdoor leadership training adventure, John and his family practice the occasional "trust fall" and forage for dinner ingredients with the use of only a compass, rope, and magnifying glass.
Job Titles:
- Intern Architect & IT Manager
Justin Burkholder is the backbone of IT at the CMH office, so if there's a technical question, he either knows the answer or he'll figure out what the answer is. And with everyone always interrupting him with technical problems, he has an optimistic, almost eerily bright attitude about whatever system is in peril-perhaps because he is voraciously curious and truly eager to learn new technologies. When Justin is not cheerily solving what most of the office considers tedious exercises, he is at his workstation tackling his architectural duties. As an architectural intern, he is responsible for construction document production and construction administration.
"I love architecture because I love solving problems," says Justin. "Designing allows us an avenue for creativity, but solving problems is at the heart of what we do." In short, give Justin a problem to solve, and he plugs away at it until he finds a solution.
Justin is a graduate of Auburn University and holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design. When he is not busy solving problems at work, he is indulging his lifelong love of video-gaming.
Katherine Burkholder joined CMH in February 2016. With a Bachelor's in Interior Design from Auburn University, she has helped to expand the firm's interiors offerings, serving as project manager on the firm's interiors projects and as a team member on many of the firm's building projects. She anticipates issues and solves them before they become a problem. She knows what questions need to be asked and is a real self-starter who easily juggles an array of project types, including higher education, retail, restaurant, corporate, hospitality, mixed-use, and multi-family design. The firm relies on her exceptional talent in creating a palette of materials, finishes, and colors that make each project sing.
When Katherine is not expressing her creativity at work, she has crochet hook and yarn in hand, whipping up everything from blankets to bags to stuffed animals. And interior design wasn't always her dream job. "Ever since I found out that sea lions are basically mermaid dogs, I wanted to be a sea lion trainer at SeaWorld," she says of her childhood imaginings. In a strange twist of fate, she's sort of living her dream as she can be seen using a series of sea-lion-trainer-esque hand signals to communicate with her real dog, Baxter, who is deaf.
It's impossible to work alongside Kayla Neighbors and not also absorb a plethora of health-conscious knowledge; where to get the best coffee in town (She is a caffeine connoisseur, a java junkie, a bean head.); fabulous recipes and restaurant recommendations (She's a self-professed "foodie."); and excellent plant-care tips and tricks. Her parents run Rockett's Bug Juice Gardens, a full-service landscape business with a retail garden shop, so plant intelligence is her birthright. Speaking of which, Kayla is a twin and not only often shows up to events unintentionally wearing the exact same outfit as her sister, but she also admits to instances of twin telepathy, knowing what the other is thinking and feeling with not so much as a glance.
When she is not reading her sister's mind, she is usually outdoors and exercising with her German shepherds, Titus and Alaya. Her cats, Breezy and Fancy, hold down the fort in her chic fifth-wheel, where she lives with her husband. "One of the best investments of money, time, and energy that we made was downsizing and living a more minimal lifestyle-it's so mentally and physically freeing," says Kayla of their unconventional abode.
As an Executive Assistant at CMH Kayla supports the firm's administrative and financial operations as well as its marketing and business development initiatives. She brings positivity and her "God-given gift," which is, she says, "to help. I'm a helper at heart, and it makes my heart happy when I can help others, including co-workers."
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Writer and Editor to
Lauren Helmer brings her experience as a writer and editor to CMH's business development and marketing initiatives, as well as an enthusiastic can-do spirit to all administrative duties. She enjoys rolling up her sleeves and tackling the ever-changing daily needs of the office's busy staff-whether it's planning Lunch & Learns, proofreading proposals, renewing licenses, interviewing clients and architects for blog posts, or crunching numbers for accounts receivable.
When she's not wearing her CMH hat, Lauren serves as a freelance writer and editor-editing books and magazines, writing magazine articles and blog posts, curating clients' social media feeds, and even dabbling in local PR initiatives. In the in-between moments, she is developing a series of children's books, but at the end of the day, she loves spending time with her family, whipping up elaborate global dishes with exciting new ingredients, or binge-watching the latest and greatest streaming series.
It's always sunny in Leigh Cunningham's world! When she is not cooking gourmet meals for her family at home, Leigh is serving up smiles and hospitality at the offices of CMH. Leigh is originally from in South Carolina and earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Architecture at Clemson University. As a registered architect, she has experience working on a variety of projects including offices, schools, labs, retail, clubhouses, a church addition, a fire station renovation, and a restaurant. Leigh enjoys spending time with her husband and (2) teenage daughters and helping others by volunteering with a widow ministry. She has lived in Birmingham for 13 years since moving from Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Creative Designer & IT Manager
Mary Grace Stanley pulls double-duty on the CMH team, serving as the firm's Creative Designer and IT Manager. When she is not busy designing CMH's marketing materials, from print ads to social media posts, she handles the firm's software updates, computer issues, and other technical matters.
The Fairhope, Alabama, native channeled her love of art into Graphic Design, pursuing her BFA at Auburn University in 2020. While there, she discovered another artistic avenue that also sated her technical and analytical brain, earning her Masters in Industrial Design in 2023. Seeing her talent for solving tech issues, the university put Mary Grace to work in IT during her time there.
It's this strategic side of Mary Grace that she takes into the ring as a boxer. "My favorite thing about it is the mental game against your opponent, like playing chess, but with higher stakes," she explains of the interplay of minds in the sport she loves. This curiosity and willingness to work with people to seek creative design and tech solutions is what makes her shine at CMH, not to mention her ever-present smile. "I draw a lot of inspiration from working with people around me. I think collaboration is the key to amazing finished projects," she says. "I hope to help all the people in the office whenever possible and as quickly as I can … and to win a world title belt-at least one if not multiple." Spoken like a true champion.
Mike Tillman is completely devoted to excellence in the practice of architecture. If he is working on a project, then he's on that project 24/7. He has dual degrees from Auburn University in Architecture and Building Construction and is also only the second architect in the state to become an NCIDQ-certified Interior Designer, giving him knowledge of the complete design and construction process.
Mike's wonderful hand sketches of building designs and masterplans are his trademark in our office. He invests his total focus on each client's project, and chances are he's working on that project over the weekend-not because there's a deadline, but because, like a great book, he just can't put it down. Mike has designed and managed every type of office, institutional, retail, mixed-use, and residential project in the CMH portfolio. He is extremely good at masterplanning complex projects from major mixed-use developments to sophisticated university planning.
You would think a grown man would know better, but Mike has gotten hooked on skydiving. And while his grown-up hobbies are of the thrill-seeking variety, his childhood fantasies were decidedly more brainy. He claims that, even as a boy, he has always wanted to be an architect-and as it turns out, he's become an incredibly good one.
Noura creates CMH's design schemes for a wide array of project types, including recreation and community centers, restaurants, and retail developments. Prior to joining CMH, Noura designed an 8,000-square-foot medical facility that included an outpatient clinic as well as a medical spa. For that project, she also oversaw project completion, and worked closely with the design-build team throughout construction.
"Defining a strong design concept and integrating the client's business needs in a cohesive design is the fun part. It's an immersive experience every time," says Noura.
Originally from Syria, Noura was raised in France where she eventually pursued a business degree at the American University of Paris. She dedicated many years to raising "four awesome kids, [which is] by far the hardest job in the world." A long-time admirer of art, fashion, and architecture, Noura decided to pursue a new career in interior design, earning another Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture from Samford University.
Apart from work and family, Noura is an experimental baker who enjoys modernizing traditional dishes from home. She enjoys tending to her garden, exercising, and painting. Noura has recently taken to watercolors, and she hopes to complete her collection of botanicals. She incorporates her appreciation for nature in her work, saying, "‘Visual comfort' is essential in any space. This can be as simple as having access to views of the outdoors or living and working in a space that promotes well-being."
Richard Barrow is a walking library of architectural details and technical construction information, all collected over his long career as an Architect. In fact, his colleagues claim that Richard is faster and more accurate than Google, with one saying, "There's a lot of technical knowledge and experience in that brain of his that you can access without having to do a Google search. And you can walk away knowing that it is correct." Richard is extremely thorough. If he doesn't already know it, he will make calls, do research, and fact-check every possible angle to make sure the details are in place to ensure that the overall system will work properly.
"Architecture is a profession that requires a broad, big-picture, creative view combined with an attention to thousands of small bits of information and materials," says Richard. "My concern is with the assemblage and integration of these small parts into the larger whole." He believes architecture is a cooperative process and he puts his money where his mouth is as he is extremely generous in sharing his time and wealth of knowledge with his CMH teammates and the profession.
Richard was once a member of the National AIA Board of Directors and served on the Alabama Board for Registration of Architects. He spends most of his free time reading books on a wide variety of topics. He is generally a quiet fellow, which is why his CMH colleagues might be surprised to learn that he was once a choir singer-and a darn good one at that.
Roger Sparks excels in figuring out the details necessary to build a building. He can drill down to figure out all the little nuts, bolts, bends, and curves and how they all fit together so that it actually works. He thinks through the technical intricacies of every architectural detail and communicates effectively to make sure that the drawings are airtight and specified with laser precision.
Roger earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Auburn University soon after winning the Alabama Gas competition's traveling scholarship which allowed him to study architecture and culture in Europe, Asia, and Africa. "With a friend's loan, I stretched the trip out to nine months," Roger recalls. "Seeing the sunrise on Mt. Everest was probably the peak of the trip. In Cairo, the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Museum of Cairo were amazing. I also spent two weeks on a nude beach in Goa on the west coast of India, but I'm not sure how much detail you want me to go into." Case in point: Roger's always willing to dive in when it comes to the details.
He worked for CMH in 1996 and ‘97, then returned in 2004 and works from Huntsville, where he and his wife (who have an arts & crafts business) moved to be closer to his kids and grandkids.
Job Titles:
- Architect & BIM Manager
- Architect and Manager of the Building Information Modeling
Ryan Puett serves as Architect and Manager of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflow for the company's design team. As a registered Architect, Ryan has more than 20 years of commercial and residential experience and project management consisting of retail, entertainment, industrial, and multifamily projects. "I really enjoy adaptive reuse projects," he says. "It's easy to make good design with a blank canvas, but bringing new life to an old worn-out building is a fun challenge." Ryan is also passionate about building sustainable ecological cities and mindful of the social responsibilities of architecture.
In a previous firm, Ryan served as BIM Manager and Project Architect on The Orion Amphitheater-an award-winning venue located in Huntsville, Alabama. "As a musician, I always wanted a world-class amphitheater in my hometown. When I had the opportunity to work on the Orion Amphitheater, I jumped at it," says Ryan, who was born in Frankfurt, Germany, before moving to the Rocket City where he learned to play guitar, bass, drums, and-wild card!-the didgeridoo. (He also likes to dabble in karaoke when time allows.) When Ryan left Huntsville for the Magic City, he had to say goodbye to his bearded dragon, Beyonce, but he kept his cat Woody and enjoys exploring the Cahaba River, shows at stellar venues like the Lyric Theatre, camping, and-always-listening to or making music.
Ryan is an AIA member, NCARB certified, and holds dual Bachelor's degrees in Architecture and Interior Architecture from Auburn University.
Detail-oriented and very focused, Steve Kinney can assemble a stellar set of drawings. He has great flexibility and is able to work on multiple projects at the same time. Steve is a registered architect who joined CMH in 2016 with 30+ years of experience. He graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Architecture.
In his spare time, Steve is a fine art photographer and photo-artist, participating in juried fine art festivals across the southeastern U.S. as part of the collaborative team of Angels and Relics.