Frank Sparkman is a local architect who is a past president of the Board of the East Tennessee Community Design Center. In this role he has led by example, serving as the adviser to several University of Tennessee architectural students who have been involved in developing projects in conjunction with the City's Community Development Division and the Metropolitan Planning Commission. Among his committee advisory and student mentoring roles are the creation of the facade improvement program for Broadway/ Central Street, infill housing concepts for Lonsdale (with Professor Fox's architectural class), and the draft of the infill guidelines for the Heart of Knoxville.

Mr. Sparkman also led the Nine Counties One Vision Downtown Task Force, resulting in the publication the Downtown Revitalization Principles, the selection of Crandell Arambula as Nine Counties' urban design consultant, resulting in the development of Nine Counties' downtown planning concepts. Mr. Sparkman also served on the Mayor's Downtown Task Force, outlining the specific improvement programs.