A person smiling for the camera.

Kelly Cathey, AIA

Co‑Managing Director, Senior Associate

Kelly is a Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Nashville office and a registered architect. She has spent 25 years working across multiple markets for office, retail, mixed use, civic, and industrial clients, leading teams to deliver relevant, transformational projects. Kelly has engaged in projects throughout Nashville and the region during an unprecedented period of growth for the area. As an architect and project manager, she has contributed to many signature projects across the city, including the planning and delivery of Circle South Office Tower, Fifth and Broadway, and the Nashville Yards Mixed Use Development, which includes Amazon Tower 1 and 2 and Pinnacle Tower 3.

She thrives in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and specializes in driving decisions through effective communication and rigorous evaluation of outcomes. Kelly’s leadership has helped chart a path for continued growth through design excellence and client service. She is passionate about cultivating a culture where hard work, great ideas, and meaningful collaboration yield courageous design solutions.

Kelly has served as a member of the AIA Middle Tennessee Board of Directors and the AIA State of Tennessee Board of Directors. With fond memories from her time teaching at the University of Hawaii, Kelly looks forward to any opportunity to engage in academic discourse with her peers. Kelly graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University’s School of Architecture in May 2000.