Gresham Smith is excited to announce that Director of Human Resources, Tonya Spry has been named one of the Nashville Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence. The annual award recognizes women in Middle Tennessee who are shaping their companies, improving the city’s business community and paving the way for the next generation of influential female leaders.
“I’m thrilled to see Tonya recognized for her impact at our firm and in the local community,” said Rodney Chester, CEO and board chair of Gresham Smith. “She is a trusted leader, and in just three years, she has brought a host of forward-thinking ideas that are improving the employee experience and making us better as a firm.”
As the Director of Human Resources, Spry brings more than 20 years of HR leadership experience across global architecture and engineering firms. Since joining Gresham Smith in 2021, she has become a trusted partner, aligning HR strategies with the firm’s operational and financial needs. Spry has launched key employee-focused initiatives, including a more formalized leadership development program, and restructured the HR department to better support Gresham Smith’s strategic plan.
Under her leadership, Gresham Smith was recently honored as a “2025 Best-in-Class Employer” by Gallagher, largely due to the expansion of new benefits such as a tuition reimbursement program, expanded parental leave, workforce engagement surveys, HR technology strategy, and the launch of a wellness initiative.
A middle Tennessee native, Spry is active in her community. She serves on the Board of Directors of Advancing Women in Nashville, lending her expertise to help the organization advance and develop women leaders. She is active in the industry as a member of the national and Middle Tennessee chapters of the Society for Human Resource Management. Spry is also a recipient of the 2025 Table Member Award, which is given to individuals who demonstrate The Table’s mission of taking action to create opportunities to grow prosperity for people of color.
