Cody Parham
Project Manager
HDR
Age: 34
- Alma Mater: Georgia Institute of Technology
- Favorite Aircraft: Grumman HU-16 Albatross
- Favorite Book: Title, author Run with the Horsemen, Ferrol Sams
- Favorite TV Show: How to Do Florida
- Favorite Movie: Airplane! I promise I’m not pandering.
- Favorite Hobbies: Kiteboarding, snorkeling, travel
Before the Great Recession, Cody Parham’s career was on a different trajectory than aviation.
Prior to 2008, Parham was working on land development projects during the massive development boom of the 2000s. After the recession wiped out the market, he was able to seize on an opening in the aviation department.
“It’s the passion of the people in it. Having come from a background in other kinds of engineering, you don’t meet people every day who are excited about building apartment complexes,” he said. “In aviation, we have this unique culture of folks who always had the aviation bug. They spend their free time giving back to that industry because they feel so strongly about it.”
Parham, who is a project manager with HDR, has worked in the aviation industry for 12 years. He got into the field thanks to a love of aviation and the challenges the field presents.
"The 2008 recession was a blessing in disguise because it made me reconsider that career track and it gave me exposure to airports, which were still funding projects," he said. "I became intrigued by the culture, jargon and unique design challenges in aviation.
"How many highways are designed for 200-ton vehicles constantly slamming into it?"
He recently developed a training program for airport and HDR staff to train new construction inspectors with a focus on quality construction. This was on top of his project work.
Parham also helped a regional airport integrate innovative sustainable features into a building modernization. The results will benefit the community and environment and reduce the client’s operations and maintenance costs — all while helping the client make efficient use of its budget.
In order to better guide clients in the planning phases of aviation projects, Parham undertook teaching himself the complex system of taxes, user fees, debt and private sources that comprise funding for airport capital programs. What he learned led him to develop the Airport Finance 101 webinar for the Airport Consultants Council’s (ACC) Young Professional Forum, helping distribute knowledge to an up-and-coming class of aviation influencers and project planners.
Parham stays active with ACC, Florida Airports Council and the American Society of Civil Engineers. For the ACC, he serves as vice chair for the Young Professional Forum. During last year’s planning, design and construction symposium, he served as the YP liaison to the engineering track, and at this year’s symposium, he moderated a ‘Shark Tank’ style innovative business competition.
He sits on the corporate committee for the Florida Airports Council and on the airfield pavement committee for ASCE.