Perkins Eastman announced it is expanding the leadership of its Executive Committee (EC) by adding additional diverse voices from throughout the firm. The award-winning, global design firm welcomes Stephanie Kingsnorth and Jeff Young to the EC as executive directors, and Paul Grillo and Salema Gumbs as ex official members. 

The new members join Brad Perkins, Mary-Jean Eastman, Andrew Adelhardt, Shawn Basler, Nick Leahy, Jeff Brand, Hilary Bertsch, Jason Haim, Barbara Mullenex, and Supriya Thyagarajan to the EC. The new EC members include the following:

  • Stephanie Kingsnorth, AIA, LEED AP, who joined Perkins Eastman when Pfeiffer Partners merged with the firm in 2021, is an architect based in Los Angeles and a leader of the firm’s Colleges & Universities practice. Kingsnorth, a PE principal, is passionate about sustainability and brings more than 25 years of experience devoted to the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings for civic and higher education clients, including the owners of libraries, student unions, and student residences, to the EC.
  • Jeff Young, AIA, co-managing principal of the Pittsburgh studio, his hometown, joined Perkins Eastman in 2014. The Pittsburgh Business Times names him among the “Top 20 Professionals to Know in Construction and Architecture.” Young leads the workplace, commercial office, residential, and mixed-use practice areas in Pittsburgh, and supports firmwide efforts with more than 27 years of experience.
  • Paul Grillo, principal and chief financial officer, shares his deep knowledge of finance and economics, combining his creative mind and prudent business acumen with the firm. His career in managing professional service businesses spans 43 years. Grillo, based in New York City, believes you should always be honest, open in accepting where you are, charting where you want to go, and motivating those around you. 
  • Salema Gumbs, principal and director of Human Resources, has spent 23 years of her career at Perkins Eastman in New York City. Gumbs strategizes to create and implement HR programs and activities that support the firm world-wide, including explaining company policies and procedures, problem resolution, compensation and benefits, and other employment matters. Gumbs’s warm personality, collaborative nature, and extensive knowledge of employee development requirements and relationship building make her ideal for her position.


“We are pleased to announce these changes to our Executive Committee as part of our planned transition to expand our leadership,” Perkins Eastman Co-CEO and Executive Director Shawn Basler says. “We look forward to having Stephanie, Jeff, Paul, and Salema on the Executive Committee and working together to continue to shape the future of our firm.”