The Contributor: July 18, 2023

Please Vote Nashville

For the Aug. 3 Election, The Contributor teamed up with Please Vote Nashville to create a guide of offices and candidates. Since its inception, Please Vote Nashville’s goal has been to provide information on every candidate on the ballot. The ballot breakdown also gives a description of the office to give voters a sense of what exactly the candidate should do in the job.

Early voting begins July 14 and runs through July 29. Visit nashville.gov for more information on where to vote.

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Aftyn Behn is a licensed master social worker with a master of social work degree, specializing in disability studies and public policy, from the University of Texas at Austin. Behn has worked as a community organizer with

TN House of Representative Special Primary & Special Election

The Tennessee House of Representatives is holding a special primary election for the District 51 representative seat that was vacated in June 2023 with the passing of Rep. Bill Beck and a special election to appoint a representative in District 52. Justin Jones, the current representative in District 52, was expelled by the Republican majority in April for participating in a gun control protest on the House floor. Nashville’s Metro Council unanimously voted to

HOUSE OF REP D51

Indivisible and Tennessee Justice Center and in 2022, Behn joined RuralOrganizer. org as Campaign Director.

In March 2019, Behn wrote an op-ed in The Tennessean on the issue of racism in the state legislature. In April 2019, Behn participated in a 30-hour sit-in at Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s office advocating for the removal of Rep. David Byrd who was accused of sexual assault; Behn was also removed from Tennessee House chambers after protesting House Speaker Glen Casada’s support for Rep. Byrd.

Behn intends to “offer backup” to the Tennessee

state representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson, known as the “Tennessee Three.” Behn’s priorities as representative include opposing anti-LGBTQIA+-rights legislation; reforming Tennessee state gun laws and campaign finance; pursuing reproductive justice; investing in caregiving infrastructure; challenging state preemption of local governance, in part to achieve housing justice; elevating the perspectives of constituent school board members on education issues and incentivizing economic growth through small businesses.

TN HOUSE OF REP D52

in political science from Fisk University and is completing a master’s of theological studies degree at Vanderbilt University.

reinstate Jones but official re-election of this seat takes place in this special election where Jones is running against Republican Laura Nelson.

The Tennessee House of Representatives, alongside the Tennessee State Senate, forms the legislative branch of the Tennessee state government and works alongside the Governor of Tennessee to create laws and establish a state budget.

Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Tennessee

House of Representatives includes passing bills on public policy matters, setting state budgets, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes. The House has the sole power to originate impeachment proceedings against public officials, who are then brought before the Senate for trial. Tennessee is one of six states that requires a majority vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

ics from Lambuth University and is the founder of East Nashville Beer Works, a family-friendly brewery and pizzeria. He represented council District 7 from 2011-2019, and was recently appointed interim representative to fill the vacancy left after the death of Rep. Bill Beck, for whom he had served as campaign treasurer.

Anthony Davis, a Nashville native and Democrat, received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Econom-

During his Council tenure, Davis served on the Budget and Finance Committee and chaired the Public Works and the Rules

Committees. He also served on the Board of several nonprofit agencies, including Margaret Maddox East Nashville YMCA, Friends of Riverside Drive, Nashville Adult Literacy Council and Nashville Living Wage Committee. He believes in passing sensible gun legislation, strengthening public school education, increasing access to quality healthcare for all, supporting workers, and protecting Nashville from state overreach.

Justin Jones is a community organizer and activist who currently serves in the Tennessee General Assembly. He has a bachelor’s degree

Prior to being elected, Jones participated in numerous protests at the Tennessee Capitol. In 2019, he organized a campaign to remove the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Capitol Building. In 2020, while protesting for racial justice in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Jones was arrested and faced a total of 14 charges related to the protest. Many

of the charges were dropped in 2021.

In 2023, Jones and fellow lawmaker Justin Pearson were expelled from the House of Representatives for participating in a gun control protest on the House floor. Nashville’s Metro Council unanimously voted to reinstate Jones. Jones believes Tennessee is on the front lines in a battle for democracy. He is running to fight for quality public education, environmental justice, immigration rights and the needs of working people.

Nelson currently serves as the First Vice Chair of the Davidson County Republican Party. Nelson did not respond to our inquiries and no other information was available online.

The following candidates had no information online and did not respond to our inquiries requesting information, and for this reason were not included in this issue: David C. Hooven running for the Republican seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 51, Terri Laine Klingner running for Metro Council in District 5, Emmit Martin running for Metro Council in District 17 and Carson Smart running for Metro Council in District 35.

AFTYN BEHN (D)

JUSTIN JONES (D)

LAURA NELSON (R)

ANTHONY DAVIS (D)

TN

Natisha Brooks is a self-described conservative from Gimer, Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Prairie A&M University and became

Mayor of Nashville

The mayor is the chief executive of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Mayors serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms. The mayor is responsible for enforcement of all laws and ordinances in Davidson County. They have the power to veto any ordinance passed by Metro Council, and Council can

a home school and tutoring consultant in 2001.

She resides in Nashville and is the owner and director of The Brooks Academy, a Christian homeschool institution. In 2022, Brooks unsuccessfully ran in the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in District 5.

The key issues in Brooks’ campaign are mental health, public safety, and education.

Brooks proposes addressing these issues by increasing funding for mental health facilities, improving compensation and staffing for the

Tennessee State University. She has served as president of her homeowner’s association for 20 years.

Metro Nashville police department, and raising teachers’ salaries, although she has not outlined how these priorities would be paid for.

Brooks believes that reducing property taxes will improve affordability in Nashville. She views conventions such as the Republican or Democratic National Conventions as valuable economic opportunities for the city, and she does not support a new Titans stadium due to the lack of community support. As an educator, Brooks supports school choice for parents and children.

override a mayor’s veto with a two-thirds majority.

The mayor writes the budget for each fiscal year. The council then takes the mayor’s budget and creates a substitute budget with recommended changes. When passed, this becomes the city’s official budget. Historically, the Metro Council has not made major

changes to the mayor’s budget.

The mayor is also responsible for overseeing all Metro departments, which provide services to residents and set policy priorities for the community. The mayor appoints citizens to serve on boards and commissions, which work to set rules and priorities for Nashville as outlined in the Metro Charter.

tor experience will benefit him as mayor, having lived as a “private citizen, never once [living] on a taxpayer’s dime as a politician.” He considers himself in touch with the needs of Nashville community members. Cox has served on the board of directors for the Cumberland Apartments on Church Street.

ness through guided direction and provide “homeless community centers” with training and personal services. He plans to protect Nashville’s tourism industry and improve transit by doubling the number of bus routes as an initial step.

Bernie Cox received a degree in business administration from Fullerton College and is an entrepreneur and songwriter. Cox feels his private sec -

Cox’s campaign priorities include criminal justice through upholding laws and supporting the daily operations of the police to protect the community. Cox wants to address homeless -

Fran Bush is a native Nashvillian who has lived in Antioch since 2001. She attended Metro Nashville Public Schools and went on to attend

Bush owns and directs a childcare center, Model Kids Learning Academy, which has been operating for more than 15 years. After serving on the Metro Nashville Board of Education for four years, Bush lost her bid for reelection in 2022 following her support of reopening schools during the pandemic.

One of Bush’s priority issues in her mayoral candidacy is affordable housing and

nessee’s 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, losing to Republican Andy Ogles. She previously served two terms as the Mayor of Oak Hill.

homelessness, which she plans to address by “providing incentives for developers to build more affordable units.” Bush recognizes the importance of transportation issues and supports adding light rail, improving bus routes, and developing other infrastructure, all with community input. Regarding public safety, Bush supports early intervention and prevention through mental health support, and she believes that crime can be addressed through implementing restorative justice and addressing economic inequalities.

professional experience as a music industry executive, songwriter and musician.

Jim Gingrich received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Cornell University as well as two graduate degrees, a master’s degree in engineering

and an MBA. He grew up in the Kansas City area and moved to Nashville in 2018.

He is the former Chief Operating Officer of AllianceBernstein, a global asset management firm.

As COO, Gingrich orchestrated the relocation of the company’s headquarters to Nashville before he retired in 2020.

Gingrich has concerns about what the rapid growth of Nashville means for its citizens, and he cites his business background and managerial experience as qualifications for leading

the city. He told the Tennessean, “I am not a career politician, I’m a problem solver.”

Gingrich has promised to implement a growth management plan to build more affordable housing through a mix of public and private partnerships, and address transit, public schools, crime, and infrastructure. Gingrich criticized the deal to build a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans, but he would support a new stadium if the financing were better for Nashvillians.

Heidi Campbell earned her bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College and her MBA from Vanderbilt University. In 2022, Campbell ran to represent Ten-

Campbell is currently serving her first term in the Tennessee State Senate, which lasts from 2020 to 2024. She sits on several committees, including the Transportation and Safety Committee, and she chairs the Davidson County Legislative Delegation. Outside of her work, Campbell values being a mother and has

Campbell’s key issues include public education, affordability and transportation infrastructure. Campbell has been vocal about common sense gun reform following the Nashville school shooting in March 2023. She believes her experience in politics and government proves her ability to work across the aisle and gives her a deep understanding of the city, as she has developed strong relationships with other leaders in Nashville..

SHARON HURT

Sharon Hurt is a longtime Nashville resident. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Tennessee State University and a master’s

degree in nonprofit leadership from Belmont University.

She serves as the executive director of Street Works, which aims to help those with HIV/AIDS, and is the former CEO of J.U.M.P. Nashville, an organization aiming to revitalize and steward growth in the historic Jefferson Street neighborhood. Hurt has served on the Metro Council since 2015, winning reelection in 2019. She has served as Chair of Metro Council’s Health, Hospitals

and Social Services Committee.

Civil rights is a central part of Hurt’s platform. She wants to reestablish Nashville’s Community Oversight Board and involve formerly incarcerated individuals in workforce development programs. Hurt voted in favor of the recent Titans Stadium funding bill. She believes her balanced approach, having lived and worked in many different parts of the city, makes her uniquely qualified to be mayor.

NATISHA BROOKS

FRAN BUSH

JIM GINGRICH

BERNIE COX

HEIDI CAMPBELL

STEPHANIE JOHNSON

Johnson is the creative director for Shea + Coconut, a skincare company. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.

She received a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and management from Regent University, where she also served as the president of the International Justice Mission. During this time, she helped successfully lobby the Virginia State Congress for the passage of anti-human trafficking legislation. She has worked as a nonprofit and business consultant. Johnson moved back to Nashville in 2015, and unsuccessfully campaigned to represent District 7 in 2019.

Johnson wants to keep

Bike Nashville, the Belcourt Theatre and Cumberland Region Tomorrow.

schools safe from violence and improve their educational impact. She is focused on providing safe and affordable housing. Johnson plans to increase community safety through de-escalation training, nonviolent conflict resolutiozn methods for students, and holding a 35-district gun buyback event. Johnson would like to improve infrastructure through alternative transportation modes, composting waste to divert trash from landfills, and assessing sidewalk needs.

VIVIAN WILHOITE

Vivian Wilhoite is from Gulfport, Mississippi. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tennessee State University. From 2016 to 2020, she was the assessor of property

FREDDIE O’CONNELL

Freddie O’Connell is a lifelong Nashvillian with bachelor’s degrees in music and computer science from Brown University. He founded Mimetic Industries, a company that creates tangible artifacts of internet-based moments, and has served on the boards of Nashville MTA, Walk

He has served on Metro Council since 2015. During this tenure, he has served as chair of both the Public Works Committee and the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Committee. In 2021, he led efforts to regulate “transportainment,” or large entertainment vehicles in the downtown area.

O’Connell believes he is the only mayoral candidate ready to lead on day one. He released a list of “15 Fixes on Day One” where he discusses developing a public safety plan that incorporates both safety and justice, establishing a

Development under Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration, as well as Senator Lamar Alexander’s campaign manager.

standalone department to manage solid waste (currently managed by Metro Water Services), ensuring all Metro buildings are powered by solar energy within three years, and creating new standards to ensure Metro’s effective and transparent communication with the Nashville community. He intends to implement a three year public transit plan to reduce bus transfers and traffic without raising taxes.

MATTHEW A. WILTSHIRE

Matt Wiltshire is a Nashville native who received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College. Wiltshire began his career in investment banking. He helped found a private capital firm called Greenbridge Partners, worked as a partner at venture capital firm NEST-TN, and as a director at investment bank-

in Davidson County, and the first African American woman to hold this office. Prior to this, Wilhoite served on the Metro Council as District 29’s Representative for eight years.

In 2018, the Tennessee Association of Assessors recognized her as an Outstanding New Member, highlighting her office’s outreach to deaf and hard-of-hearing property owners. Between 2017 and 2018, her office completed reappraisals that brought in $58 million of new construction revenue.

Wilhoite believes that a multifaceted approach,

ing group Avondale Partners. Wiltshire has also served as the president of the board of Hands On Nashville and on the boards of the Center for Nonprofit Management and Tennessee Justice Center.

In 2011, Wiltshire was named director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development, where he helped recruit corporations to expand in Nashville. In 2019, Mayor David Briley named Wiltshire the chief strategy and intergovernmental affairs officer for the Metro Development and Housing Agency where he was in charge of affordable housing initiatives.

As mayor, Wiltshire seeks to increase the supply of affordable housing in Nashville,

including utilizing grants, taxes and bonds, as well as public-private partnerships, is necessary to provide affordable housing and that these efforts are the first step in ending homelessness. She supports creating mixed income neighborhoods. Wilhoite wants to work toward becoming a carbon neutral city by 2050 through the creation of a sustainable transit plan. She wants to increase public safety by bringing conflict resolution education to schools and by supporting violence prevention non profit groups that work with high risk populations.

but sees a solution in increasing access to tax relief and tax freeze programs. He would increase funding for the Barnes Fund and accelerate the implementation of the MDHA Envision program. He also feels coordinating services such as mental health care, combating domestic violence, addressing substance abuse, and that finding a job will help.

Wiltshire feels a largescale mass transit system is unlikely to solve current traffic issues. He supports the Titan’s stadium financing. He proposes reducing gun violence by supporting police in enforcing dispossession orders and partnering with community organizations to hold gun buyback events and giving away free gun locks.

Nashville native and Republican Alice Rolli earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. She has worked in both state and federal government, including serving as the assistant commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community

Rolli is the former Vice President of Sales and Advocacy for QuaverEd, a music education technology company. In May 2022, she became the vice president of sales and marketing for Possip, a company providing a teacher-to-parent communication platform.

Rolli believes in shoring up the city’s finances and resetting spending priorities. Rolli considers discussions of gun safety legislation to be “a national political issue,” but would ensure school resource officers in elementary schools to increase school safety. To fight crime, Rolli is focused on the recruitment and re -

tention of first responders and police officers. She wants to manage growth from a regional perspective, understanding the reliance on state and federal funding for infrastructure and program implementation.

Yarbro was elected to the Tennessee Senate representing District 21 in 2014. In his first term, Yarbro was appointed chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and he was appointed senate minority leader in 2018. While in office Yarbro has served on the Health and Welfare, Rules, Transportation, and Safety committees.

ensure an independent review and approval process rather than prioritizing opening more charter schools. Yarbro has argued against efforts to include right-to-work provisions in the Tennessee Constitution.

Jeff Yarbro grew up in Dyersburg, Tenn. He received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and later served on Al Gore’s presidential campaign. Yarbro then pursued a law degree from the University of Virginia and moved to Nashville. After a clerkship with a federal judge, Yarbro has practiced law with Bass, Berry & Sims, where he helped formalize the firm’s pro bono program.

In addition to his political service, Yarbro has co-chaired Nashville community-based organization Casa Azafrán’s capital campaign and served on the board of directors for East End Preparatory School.

After the Tennessee abortion ban went into effect, Yarbro warned that criminalizing abortion would result in an increase in infant and maternal mortality rates. During recent education hearings, Yarbro argued that the Tennessee Charter School Commission should

As mayor, Yarbro seeks to prioritize education, specifically recruiting and retaining teachers and supporting students and families in the transition from early childhood to elementary school and high school to higher education, training, and the workforce.

Yarbro plans to invest in neighborhood-scale infrastructure and long-term efforts to improve mass transit, thereby maintaining affordability and strategically directing growth.

Yarbro also seeks to improve staffing, training, and compensation for Nashville’s police force, as well as developing a trauma response strategy.

Stephanie

JEFF YARBRO

ALICE ROLLI

Angie Henderson is a Nashville native who received a bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College. She worked as a marketing coordinator for the San Francisco office of architecture and planning firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and later as a stewardship writer at Dartmouth

Vice Mayor of Nashville

The vice mayor of Nashville is elected to serve a four-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms. In the event that the office of mayor becomes vacant, the vice mayor becomes the mayor.

The vice mayor’s primary responsibility is to serve as president of Metro Council meetings. Metro Council meetings follow Robert’s

College before returning to Nashville to serve as Director of Foundation Relations at Belmont University.

In 2015, Henderson was elected as a councilmember in Nashville representing District 34 and was reelected in 2019. Henderson has served on several council committees, including Charter Revision and Budget and Finance, and she formerly chaired the Public Works and Parks, Library & Arts committees. Henderson is a member of several community organizations, including Walk Bike Nashville, Civic Design Center and the League of Women Voters.

Henderson is running because she believes

Metro Council needs new leadership. As vice mayor, Henderson says she would empower her council colleagues to have constructive conversations. She would be strategic in learning council member’s backgrounds when designating committee positions. Henderson believes the vice mayor is critical to strategically optimizing Metro Council’s policy work so that Metro can more proactively serve the city, while being a responsible steward of tax dollars. Henderson vows to be prepared by understanding the research and legislation and to act with a temperament that listens, leads and implements community goals.

Rules of Order, and the presiding officer introduces business, recognizes speakers, keeps discussion focused, and maintains order.

The vice mayor does not vote in meetings except in the event of a tie, when they can cast the deciding vote. The vice mayor also appoints members of Metro Council to the various Council committees and appoints

committee vice chair and chair positions. Additionally, both the vice mayor and mayor have the power to call for special meetings outside of the regular meetings of council. Special meetings can be called to address time-sensitive issues or allow for additional discussion outside of regular meetings.

Jim Shulman grew up in Johnson City, Tenn. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University School of Law, Shulman began his career as legal counsel for the state and went on to work for former Tennessee Speaker of the House Jimmy Naifeh and

the state health department. Shulman worked as the Director of the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability and the CEO of Safe Haven Family Shelter. Shulman volunteers with multiple community organizations, including serving as a current board member of the Nashville Children’s Theater. (Editor’s Note: Shulman also serves on The Contributor ’s board.)

Shulman was first elected to Metro Council in 1999 representing District 25, and he was re-elected in 2003. In 2015, Shulman was elected to serve as an atlarge councilmember, and then vice mayor in 2018. Shulman presided over con-

tentious debates and public comment periods, notably in June of 2020 when he was recorded on video speaking in a heated manner to residents. Shulman apologized for his behavior the next day. As councilmember, Shulman has chaired the Budget, Transportation, and Public Works committees.

Shulman is running for reelection as vice mayor to maintain connection and open lines of communication between Metro Council and the community, and he believes his experience on council and as a former small business owner uniquely positions him to guide Metro Council toward consensus.

The Metropolitan Council is the legislative branch of the consolidated city-county government of Nashville and Davidson County. Metro Council has 40 council members, 35 of whom are elected by voters in their district and 5 of whom are at-large members elected by all voters. Council districts are determined by population and reconsidered every ten years based on new federal Census results. Metro council members can serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.

Metro Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month, where they consider and act on ordinances and resolutions related to the policies and operations of Metro government. Council may consider legislation ranging from honoring a community member to

amending the overall annual budget. Council meetings are open to the public and feature time for community members to comment on proposed legislation.

Metro Council currently has eleven committees including the Budget and Finance Committee and the Planning and Zoning Committee. Metro council members serve as participants and leaders on committees as appointed by the vice mayor. Committees consider proposed legislation and provide reports and recommendations to the entire council.

Metro Council approves legislation by majority vote, and legislation is then signed by the mayor. If the mayor vetoes an ordinance or resolution passed by Council, Council can override it with a two-thirds majority.

Some races were uncontested and do not appear in the printed version of this guide. They can be viewed in our digital issue at www.issuu.com/the-contributor-live

ANGIE E. HENDERSON JIM SHULMAN

Burkley Allen was born in Arkansas and moved to Nashville in 1982. Allen received a bachelor’s degree in physics

Council At Large

from Davidson College and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia. Her career as a mechanical engineer includes working in energy systems and air pollution control.

Allen has held various positions on community boards and volunteered with groups such as Rebuilding Together Nashville, Nashville Organized for Action and Hope, and Meals on Wheels. Allen has also held executive positions in professional organizations and her church.

Tony Chapman is a Nashville native who currently lives in Antioch. Chapman works at Krispy Kreme in customer service and previously worked for Christian Network International as a packing lead for retail Christian products. He cites his career as an “average working person” as a key qualification for representing the “run of the mill” Nashvillian.

California, where he was student body president. He then joined the Army Rangers and served in Kuwait and Afghanistan. Post-military, he earned master’s degrees in public policy and business administration from Harvard University.

Allen has served as a council member since 2011. During her council terms, Allen passed legislation that included lowering speed limits, improving bike parking, allocating funding for affordable housing, and creating a tax incentive for real estate developers to set aside units for median income Nashvillians. She supports spending a majority of the city budget on public schools and public safety. She wants to develop more public private partnerships to improve affordable housing options.

Chapman’s priorities include helping to make streets safer, ensuring affordable housing, and addressing homelessness. If elected, he aims to build more affordable housing and convert older buildings that aren’t in use to affordable units. He also suggests strengthening partnerships with nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity.

efit small business owners.

Stephen Downs was raised in East Nashville. After joining the military, he attended American Baptist College and received a bache-

lor’s degree in sociology from Tennessee State University. He earned a paralegal certificate from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and is pursuing a master’s in healthcare management through Western Governors University. Downs is a retired social worker and freelance paralegal. His volunteer experience includes coaching football and basketball, and teaching adult literacy. He is open about his Christian beliefs and his website describes him as pro-life.

Downs seeks to increase

Evans Segall’s professional career began clerking for federal judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, appointed in 2006 by President George W. Bush. She then practiced law with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Alabama.

collaboration between Tennessee’s state legislature and Metro Council. If elected, he hopes to engage housing developers to set aside affordable units. He believes corporations coming to Nashville must help the infrastructure and neighborhoods that they impact, such as putting in new sidewalks and developing bikeways. Downs wants to slow down investments downtown and invest in city wide infrastructure needs such as traffic and parking, transportation, safety and waste management.

borhood Association.

Chris Cheng is a Nashville native. He received bachelor’s degree in international relations and global business from the University of Southern

Cheng currently owns Hot Sauce Nashville with his wife, Chelsea. As a small business owner, he feels he is keenly aware of the small business community’s needs. He pledges to vote on tax policies, zoning requirements, permits, and infrastructure investments that would ben-

the Associated Press in New York in the 1990’s. He lived in Nashville from 2001-2014, and then returned in 2022.

Cheng plans to prioritize community investments such as parks and recreational areas. His goal is to partner with local sustainability organizations to build a cleaner environment, and strengthen our land and waterways to mitigate the impact of extreme weather. He will also advocate for improved infrastructure. To address Nashville’s housing issues, he supports increasing mixed-use developments and multi-family units, as well as transitional housing for the homeless.

Quin Evans Segall is a native Nashvillian who attended the University of Alabama for both her undergraduate and law school education.

Today she is an attorney and co-owner of City House Title. She currently serves as a member of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center Foundation Board, the Nashville Industrial Development Board and is the beautification chair of the Belmont-Hillsboro Neigh-

Ronnie E. Greer, Sr. is a native Nashvillian who currently lives in Madison. Greer describes his work experience as “waiter by trade, youth counselor by training.” He represented District 17 in Metro Council from 1999 to 2007 and previously ran for an at-large seat in 2015.

Greer is entering the race due to concerns about

If elected, Evans Segall says she will focus on changing the way the Metro government functions to create more resilient and efficient systems to meet the needs of Nashvillians. She hopes to push to change zoning codes to build more affordable housing faster and update the budget process to account for long term needs. Evans Segall prioritizes access to affordable childcare as a campaign issue and has advocated using public financing to build daycare centers.

the city’s finances and the future of minority representation on the council in the wake of pressures from the state legislature. Greer also wants to make sure that publicly owned land is used for affordable housing rather than being sold for profits. He has also labeled restoring “decorum” in the council chambers as a top priority.

Chris Crofton is originally from Connecticut. He received a degree in art history from Trinity College in Hartford and worked for

Crofton is a writer, musician, and comedian. He has written a popular advice column for the Nashville Scene called The Advice King since 2014 and Vanderbilt University Press published a selection of his columns as an anthology. His artistic work often provides commentary on political issues.

His top three priorities are making sure economic growth includes all Nash-

villians; listening to the community, not lobbyists; and returning empathy to local political discourse. If elected, he would advocate for more affordable housing. When asked about filling more Metro Nashville Police Department positions, Crofton replied he would rather focus Nashville’s budget on comprehensive health care, well-funded public education and better wages for workers. His vision for downtown also includes better public transportation, and more non-alcohol related entertainment.

kegee University, Belmont University and Vanderbilt University. Hayes worked as a manager at Nashville’s Ford Motor Company plant and taught 7th grade math at Metro Nashville Public Schools after retiring. He currently serves on the board of local and statewide NAACP Executive Committees as well as a State Regional Moderator for the Disciples of Christ Church.

Hayes says he is running in part because he saw

firsthand the city’s budgeting and spending priorities while serving as the chair of the Metro Community Oversight Board. He is disappointed in statewide legislation that weakened the COB, and he says his top three priorities in office will be “fighting for the underserved,” making Nashville safer, and affordable housing. Hayes supports increases in mental health funding for co-response emergency assistance.

BURKLEY ALLEN

TONY CHAPMAN

CHRIS CHENG

CHRIS CROFTON

STEPHEN DOWNS

QUIN EVANS-SEGALL

RONNIE E. GREER, SR.

Arnold Hayes was born and raised in Calhoun, Ala. He holds degrees from Tus -

ARNOLD HAYES

Brian Hellwig is an Ohio native who moved to Nash-

ville in 2019. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Heidelberg University and a master’s in higher education administration from Kent State, where he also worked in various management and security positions for twenty years. Currently Hellwig works as a security officer for Home Depot.

Hellwig is motivated to run for office due to frustrations around the “lack of

accountability in our court systems” and a desire to improve community members’ lives. Hellwig’s campaign priorities are safety and security. Hellwig notes that he has worked closely with law enforcement, observing insufficient responses to retail theft and other related crimes. Hellwig also hopes to establish bike lanes and sidewalks in more of Nashville’s neighborhoods and to raise teacher pay.

Week. Masulla also founded a nonprofit called Tiny But Mighty that raises money for the Nashville Humane Society and awards to local animal activists. She also sits on several boards, including those of the Belcourt Theater, the Nashville Arts & Business Council, the YWCA, Inclusion Tennessee, and others.

mentor at Vanderbilt’s Wond’ry Innovation Center.

Olivia Hill is a native Nashvillian who spent 10 years as a gas turbine specialist in the U.S. Navy, including serving in combat

during Operation Desert Storm. She then worked for 26 years in the power plant at Vanderbilt University. After retiring in 2021 as assistant manager of the plant, Hill brought and won a lawsuit against her former employer on the basis of sex, gender identity and disability discrimination in the workplace. Hill is the first-ever known trans candidate for Metro Council.

Hill was the winner of Vanderbilt University’s LGBTQIA Advocate of the year award in 2020. She has

nessee State University as well as a master’s in public service management from Cumberland University. Hockett is a mother of one son and a member of Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

been a mentor and volunteer with the University’s Trans Buddy program for four years She also serves on the board of the Nashville LGBT Chamber.

Her platform is committed to equitable growth for all voices as Nashville expands. She believes the license plate reader program approved by Metro Council is prone to mistakes and disproportionately harms minorities. She has promised to make the budget process more transparent and to fight for affordable housing.

uses. Additionally, Hockett serves on the Board of Directors for Rebuilding Together Nashville, an organization that helps repair and rebuild homes for citizens in need.

Marcia Masulla is from St. Louis and moved to Nashville in 2008. She runs a PR firm called Roar Nashville and co-founded Nashville Fashion

Masulla was honored at the 2015 Nashville Emerging Leaders Awards (NELAs), among several other awards for community action, animal welfare work, and business leadership. Since 2018, she has served as a

member of Nashville’s Metro Council in a special election in 2019, representing District 29. She is the current chair of the Minority Caucus, and vice chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee. She previously served as the chair of the Education Committee and Vice Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee.

She has not run for public office before, but she served as the director of outreach for Mayor John Cooper’s office from June 2022 to April 2023. She believes where the license plate reader program ended up is “where we need to be” and described the Titan’s stadium deal as “exciting,” with many benefits for Nashvillians. As a candidate, she is prioritizing public safety in neighborhoods, small businesses, affordable housing and responsible growth.

former state co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid.

Yolanda Hockett is a native Nashvillian with 29 years of experience in juvenile corrections. She received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ten-

Hockett has not yet held public office but previously ran for Metro Council District 2 in 2019. She has served as president of the Haynes-Trinity Neighborhood Coalition and opposed a budget-driven proposal by the city to sell a large portion of land, which was ultimately retained for community

University. He is a senior pastor at Fairfield Baptist Church and owner of Kingdom Cafe and Grill. He was previously the assistant principal at John F. Kennedy Middle School.

If elected, Hockett wants Metro Council to focus on youth education and recreation. She believes housing is a central responsibility of Metro Council and that policies should be in place to prevent gentrification and regulate rental prices. One of her goals is to incentivize what she calls “sustainable employers” to open businesses in Nashville.

Rally” at the capital.

Delishia Porterfield is a Nashville native and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Tennessee State University. She is a special education coach and became a

Porterfield serves on multiple boards of directors, including Ignite Her Pursuit, the Destiny Theatre Experience, and eMpowerment. She is currently the director of leadership and advocacy for Stand Up Nashville. Porterfield is a

sity. Pulley was a police officer and a state trooper before becoming a law enforcement officer with the FBI. He worked for the U.S. Department of Justice for 41 years until he retired.

Porterfield advocates dedicated funding to WeGo, as well as extending hours, adding bus routes and providing sidewalks and sheltered locations at bus stops. She opposed the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers. She thinks increasing inventory overall, working with developers and community organizations to incentivize the construction of affordable housing, and advocating for living wages are possible solutions to Nashville’s housing problems.

Howard Jones was born in Whites Creek and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tennessee State University. Jones also earned a doctorate in education from Trevecca

Jones has had several bids for public office including running for Tennessee State Senate in 2018, Metro Council at-large in 2019 and Davidson County Clerk in 2022. During his run for Tennessee State Senate, he violated Metro Nashville Public Schools policy by signing up MNPS employees for campaign email blasts. In May 2023, he attended the “Protect Kids Not Guns

His priorities include improving access to opportunities for economic growth in lower-income sectors of the community, expanding and preserving the city’s parks, dedicated funding for WeGo, and investing in a transit system that prioritizes public transport, walking, and biking. He is opposed to the Titans stadium financing bill and says, “The Council conceived a two billion dollar plan for football and I believe that we can conceive at least one billion dollar plan to create affordable housing for all.”

Russ Pulley moved to Nashville in 1985 and has a bachelor’s degree in governmental administration from Christopher Newport Univer-

Pulley was elected to represent Metro Council District 25 in 2015. He serves on the Budget and Finance, Codes, and Public Safety committees. Pulley is the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure committee and the vice chair of both the Education and Rules committees.

Pulley’s platform includes incentivizing private devel-

partment in 2006, where he served as the liaison for Hispanic/Latino and minority communities as a part of a program called El Protector. He was decommissioned in 2019 after an investigation revealed he was charging a $25 per child fee to attend El Protector camps without permission from the department.

He served on the board of Nashville Cares, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS research. Ramirez currently

opers to absorb a significant portion of infrastructure cost related to the new Titans stadium and investing in affordable housing through the funding of sources like the Barnes Fund. Pulley advocates investing in the deconcentration of poverty and mental health services, but not at the expense of the police. He voted in favor of the new Titan’s stadium legislation. He believes that without the new deal, the city was responsible for a larger public subsidy that would come from taxpayer funds to renovate the old stadium.

serves as the president of the Filipino American Association of Tennessee.

Ramirez’s platform includes improving existing traffic infrastructure and building pedestrian and bike-friendly sidewalks, reallocating property taxes without raising them, implementing zoning policies that ensure development of affordable housing, and addressing shortages in Metro Nashville’s safety departments.

Gilbert Ramirez is a New York native. He joined the Metro Nashville Police De -

BRIAN HELLWIG

OLIVIA HILL

YOLANDA HOCKETT

HOWARD JONES

GILBERT RAMIREZ

MARCIA MASULLA

DELISHIA PORTERFIELD

RUSS PULLEY

BALLOT BREAKDOWN — METRO COUNCIL

Indrani Ray has lived in Nashville since 2005. She received a master’s degree in

economics from Vanderbilt University and has previously worked for TennCare and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Ray currently runs Harpeth & Blair LLC, a data analytics company.

Ray’s top priority is to bring responsibility and prudence to the budget process. She believes Nashville spends too much money on debt servicing and not enough on social services.

She hopes to be an advocate for law enforcement and

State University. This is his first run for public office. He has volunteered for several community organizations including Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville African Street Festival, and the NAACP Nashville Branch.

to explore policies to stop crime. Ray believes the affordability crisis in Nashville is driven by poor policies, high taxes and real estate speculations. She proposes leveraging vacant housing units to increase supply and public-private partnerships to increase availability of affordable housing. Ray believes that the Titan’s stadium financing deal, “exhibits a worrisome lack of commitment to Nashville by all the participating entities.”

Deloris Vandivort has been a Nashville resident since 1999. She has worked for more than 35 years as a registered

nurse and considers herself a “political outsider.” Vandivort served on the school board in Missouri’s Wentzville School District. She taught CPR and was involved with youth training at her church.

Vandivort is running for office to address the concerns she has with Nashville’s growth, notably drugs and overbuilding. She does not believe council members should receive benefits while in or out of office. She cites the tax hikes over the last five years forcing some to be priced out

of their neighborhoods.

Vandivort believes “shutting the city down was a huge mistake in 2020,” and believes the council should have voted to allow the Republican National Convention in Nashville if it would have brought in revenue. Vandivort is concerned about the lack of oversight in building codes, poor road conditions, strain on our electric grid, building in areas with increased risk of flooding, and a lack of affordable housing for young families.

Jonathon Williamson is a third-generation Nashville native. He attended Metro Nashville Public Schools and received a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee

Williamson has more than a decade of experience as a business systems analyst and currently works for Marriott Hotels. He supports creating a dedicated funding source for WeGo public transportation. He wants to expand access to affordable housing and have a safe and accessible downtown

for all. When asked how he would mandate resources for renters with pushback from the state and courts, he explained, “It would have to be something in the fine print.” Williamson lists public health policy as a key priority, and he is open about his unvaccinated status.

In an interview with the Nashville Scene, Williamson was confronted about repeated antisemitic and anti-immigrant tweets he posted in 2022. He responded saying, “a lot of people laughed all that stuff off” and he didn’t “even remember the tweet.”

to work with several local governments. Suara is currently employed as the executive director of grants and contracts at Meharry Medical College.

Jeff Syracuse moved to Nashville in 1998 to attend Middle Tennessee State University. After receiving his bachelor’s, he earned an MBA

from University of Phoenix in Nashville. Syracuse has been an active member of the Donelson community, serving on the Donelson Hills Neighborhood Watch and Neighborhood Association. He has served as president of the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce,

Zulfat Suara immigrated from Nigeria in 1993 and has lived in Tennessee since 1999. She opened her own accounting firm and was contracted

and led projects for Donelson Gateway Project and Hip Donelson.

In addition to 25 years working for BMI, Syracuse has also worked with Music Makes Us and the Blues Foundation and established the “Music at the Mansion” series while serv-

Suara was elected as an atlarge council member in 2019, becoming the first Muslim to be elected to Metro Council. She has served as chair of both the Affordable Housing committee and the Education committee. She has served as vice chair of the Budget committee and as a member of the Personnel/Public Relations committee.

As a council member,

ing as president of Friends of Two Rivers Mansion.

Syracuse has served on the council since 2015 with neighborhood safety and sustainable growth of Nashville as his key priorities. He has campaigned on protecting Music City’s music ecosystem. He voted in favor

Suara sponsored a bill that would put 50 percent of future Oracle taxes into affordable housing. She also sponsored a bill providing resources and legal representation to Nashvillians facing eviction. Suara supported budget amendments that increased pay for teachers and education support staff. She voted against license plate readers and in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill, describing it as “the better of two bad options.” Suara lists her priorities as housing, education and budgeting.

of license plate readers and the Titans stadium financing bill, and he supports more funding for transit. Syracuse led a meeting series called “Safe Schools and Communities: Addressing the Gun Violence Epidemic” in the wake of the Covenant school shootings.

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Some races were uncontested and do not appear in the printed version of this guide. They can be viewed in our digital issue at www.issuu.com/the-contributor-live

INDRANI RAY

ZULFAT SUARA

JEFF SYRACUSE

DELORIS VANDIVORT

JONATHON WILLIAMSON

Ruby Baker is a Nashville native who graduated from Nashville State Community College. She retired after 18 years working for the state,

COUNCIL DISTRICT 1

managing the fiscal budget. Baker previously ran for Metro Council in 2015 and 2018. She has served more than 15 years as president of the Bordeaux Hills Residential Association. She advocated for the installation of speed bumps on Hinkle Drive in 2021.

Baker values community engagement, guaranteeing locals are informed and have a voice. She is committed to environmental preservation, pushing to protect the White Creek Watershed and tree canopy. Looking to invest in better stormwater man-

nessee. Dailey then returned to Lipscomb University for a master’s degree in civic leadership.

agement to protect against floods and toxic runoff, Baker helped shepard in $3 million in funding for flood mitigation efforts.

Affordable housing is a key concern for Baker, who helped create a $15 million workforce housing project. If elected, she hopes for additional equitable development initiatives that benefit the community. Baker hopes to minimize gentrification and protect the neighborhood’s character; she also supports dedicated funding and additional routes for WeGo.

administration and finance from Clark Atlanta University. While working on his MBA at Tennessee State University, Harris interned for the Metro Assessor of Property’s office.

Correction. He was chairman for the Metro Southeast Community Health Fair.

Sean Dailey has lived in Nashville his whole life. He served in the Tennessee Army National Guard after graduating from the University of Ten-

A self-proclaimed “political outsider,” Sean has more than 13 years of experience in workforce development for the construction industry. He’s a committee member of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Middle TN. Dailey has also worked for Project Return, a nonprofit that assists formerly incarcerated people as they re-enter the community, for four years.

If elected, he wants to invest in education programs

for all ages while seeking fair compensation for teachers, firefighters and police officers. Dailey wants more green spaces and community gardens, and he is opposed to additional dump sites in District 1. He wants to help create affordable housing and also wants criminal justice reform to address systemic issues and reduce the number of people incarcerated. Dailey believes the benefits of the Titans stadium financing bill outweighed the costs, and supports the use of license plate reader technology with privacy safeguards.

Some races were uncontested and do not appear in the printed version of this guide. They can be viewed in our digital issue at www.issuu.com/the-contributor-live

Rob Harris is a native Nashvillian. Harris earned his bachelor’s degree in business

Harris has been employed in several positions with Metro and the Mayor’s Office, including working on the 2020 Census, with the Mayor’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and as Mayor Cooper’s council liaison. Harris currently works as a procurement officer for the Tennessee Department of

University, and her master’s degree at Cumberland University. In 2005, Kimbrough graduated from Southern University Law Center with her Juris Doctor degree.

If elected, Harris seeks to ensure a healthy future for all through equitable investment in infrastructure and education, protecting green spaces, and encouraging civic involvement. While Harris is not explicitly running on his experience working for the Mayor, he believes his experience seeing “how the sausage is made” has prepared him to serve on Metro Council.

NAACP’s Legacy Award, and Women of Legend and Merit award from Tennessee State University.

Davette Blalock has lived in District 4 for more

than 30 years. Block worked as an insurance agent for more than 20 years, and is now a realtor and runs the Blalock Realty Group.

Blalock previously served two terms representing District 27 in Metro Council from 2011 to 2019. She pushed for longer term limits for council members, sponsored legislation to limit single use plastic bags in Nashville, and created a new design overlay on No -

MIKE CORTESE

Mike Cortese has lived in Nashville since attending Belmont University. He received his bachelor’s degree in music business from Bel-

Joy Smith Kimbrough was raised in the Bordeaux neighborhood of Nashville. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Tennessee State

COUNCIL DISTRICT 4

lensville Road. She supports adding traffic calming measures in her district as well as increasing penalties for reckless driving.

Blalock believes in environmentally responsible city development and fully funding police and fire departments. She hopes to leverage her relationships with state and city elected officials to benefit Nashvillians.

mont in 2004 and received a master’s degree in education from Belmont in 2019. He is currently an adjunct professor at Belmont and provides team building services with his company Elevate Training & Consulting. Previously, he worked for the artist

Brian “Sully” Sullivan has lived in the Nashville area for

management firm Sports Entertainment Group.

In 2019, Cortese ran for Metro Council District 4 and was defeated by current councilmember Robert Swope. He is running in part because he believes there was not strong communication

Kimbrough is a civil rights attorney at her own law practice, where she has represented families of Nashvillians killed by police officers. Previously, Kimbrough served as a Metro park ranger and a Fulton County police officer in Georgia. Kimbrough has received various accolades throughout her career, including Nashville

TIMOTHY THOMPSON

Timothy Thompson is a barber, event planner, and founder of Thompson Place

14 years. He runs a public relations firm specializing in branding for nonprofits.

Sullivan has also worked in public relations at Addiction Campuses, a nationwide substance abuse recovery network. Prior to his work in public relations, Sullivan was a journalist. He is a board member of the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee and has worked as communications director for the Tennessee Equality Project.

Sullivan’s platform focuses

between residents and Swope. He hopes to increase engagement and improve quality of life for his community.

He believes the new Titans stadium financing legislation will benefit Nashville, and while he has personal privacy concerns about li -

Kimbrough is committed to social justice, education, and labor rights. She decided to run for Metro Council after seeing another candidate in a photo with a developer. She says she doesn’t oppose all development, but wants to focus on “smart growth.” If elected, she is committed to holding regular community meetings and advocating for her district during the city budgeting process.

Golf, a golf development program and community center that hosts events and fundraisers in North Nashville. Thompson did not respond to our inquiries and no other information was available online.

on the issues of equality; public safety; and strengthening public resources such as public schools, police, and EMS services. Sullivan believes in fixing the current officer shortages to reduce crime but does not support the use of license plate readers. He believes that reflecting the voices of his district is the most important way to govern, and that good leaders should value human rights, equity, and inclusivity most highly.

cense plate readers he believes the program is valuable for law enforcement.

Cortese has volunteered at Room in the Inn, an organization that provides resources and rooms to the unhoused and Nashville Rescue Mission.

RUBY BAKER

DAVETTE BLALOCK BRIAN SULLIVAN

SEAN DAILEY

ROB HARRIS

JOY SMITH KIMBROUGH

Nashville native Clay Capp graduated from Harvard University in 2006 and

COUNCIL DISTRICT 5

SEAN PARKER

Sean Parker has lived in Nashville most of his life. Parker is an avid cyclist and has worked in bike shops and as a

the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2010. Capp has served as legal director for the Tennessee Justice Center and was most recently a staff attorney at the public defender’s office, however he has taken leave for the campaign season.

If elected, Capp — whose Eagle Scout service project was to plant trees and improve signage at Centennial Park — hopes to be a strong advocate for Metro Parks. He is on the board of the Lockeland Springs

DANIEL MCDONELL

Daniel McDonell, a Memphis native, has lived in Nashville for nine years. He received a bachelor’s degree in religion and geography from Northwestern Univer-

bike messenger. He frequently advocates for bike and pedestrian safety at neighborhood association meetings.

Parker is a member of the Planning, Zoning and Historical committee; the Affordable Housing committee;

and the Traffic, Parking and Transportation committee. If re-elected he hopes to continue improving services for his constituents.

He believes the most pressing topics in District 5 are affordability, gentrification,

COUNCIL DISTRICT 6

Neighborhood Association and is a member of Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms.

Capp believes the East Bank is a rare opportunity to develop city land with residents in mind, not tourists. Had he been on council in the previous term, he would not have supported the license plate reader and Titans stadium financing bills. Capp believes the city needs more housing and supports the Barnes Fund and other affordable housing initiatives in town.

sity and a master’s degree in environment and sustainable development from the University of Glasgow. He has worked in environmental sustainability consulting for Hands on Nashville and Walk Bike Nashville. He is currently the urban planner managing the Multimod -

University and currently works in real estate.

Benedict serves on Metro Council’s Affordable Housing Committee and helped establish the Office of Affordable Housing. She works to connect potential homebuyers to supportive programs and education.

BRANDES B. HOLCOMB

Brandes B. Holcomb has been a Nashville resident for 24 years. He received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Tennessee at Martin and Juris Doctor degree from Nashville School of Law. Holcomb previously worked in IT for Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities and currently works as an attorney at Martin Sir

al Planning Office at the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

McDonell serves as board president for the Shelby Hills Neighborhood Association and has volunteered on several Nashville-based committees, including the East Bank Plan Steering Committee and the

COUNCIL DISTRICT 7

and displacement. Parker supported two affordable housing initiatives and legalized shared housing. He also led the effort to freeze property tax rates based on income limits, and he voted against the license plate reader bill and the Titans

stadium financing bill. Parker believes that improvements to Metro Police don’t come from increased hiring but rather changing the focus to mental health programs and adding social workers to provide a different expertise on crime.

& Associates, specializing in family law. He has periodically volunteered for Room in the Inn, a nonprofit that helps unhoused Nashvillians.

If elected, Holcomb’s top priority will be to make it easier for residents to understand what’s behind decisions that affect their neighborhood. He believes there should be more incentives to build affordable housing and wants to increase bus routes. He believes it is “inevitable” that police would have access

Downtown Connect Taskforce.

McDonell hopes to advocate for safer streets in Nashville and supports dedicated funding for all sustainable public transportation. He proposes learning from the Envision Cayce process which is increasing housing availability

to license plate reader technology and that Metro should have privacy safeguards in place. He comments that he would have voted for the Titans stadium financing bill if there was no other option, but he feels a better bill could have been developed.

Emily Benedict has lived in East Nashville since 1999. Benedict received her bachelor’s degree in geography from Western Michigan

Benedict has served on the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the board of Nashville Pride, and the Tri-State Minority Supplier Development Council which works to correct unequal access to wealth-building opportunities.

Benedict is running again to continue to advance city policies

Martez Coleman currently works as a mortgage loan officer for Renasant Mortgage. Coleman has been involved with Nashville Inner City Ministry, a Christian ministry that helps at-risk youth and their families. He previously ran for Metro Council in 2017 and 2019.

to fully fund schools, prioritize projects that calm traffic and create pedestrian friendly neighborhoods, create affordable housing, and build coalitions that ensure that residential development aligns with neighborhood values. She voted against the license plate reader bill in 2022. Benedict strongly supports creating a dedicated revenue stream for WeGo Public Transit, and did not support the Titans stadium financing bill. Now that it is moving forward, she is turning her attention towards ensuring that communities receive the promised community benefits from the stadium deal.

COUNCIL DISTRICT 8

Coleman’s priorities include better infrastructure. Coleman also hopes to address increasing traffic in Nashville and the community’s widespread growth. Coleman believes that elected officials need to be willing to listen, understand and work well with others.

Nashville native Danny Williams is a retired Nashville Metro Police Department officer. He has previously run for Metro Council

in East Nashville, believing that it can be a national model that demonstrates mixed-income, non-displacement and high-quality density. McDonnell advocates funding public schools and feels that families should have great schools in thei ar neighborhoods and not have to travel across town.

in 2015 and 2019.

Williams has no campaign website and little information is available about him online, but in his previous runs for office he has stated his interest in shifting funding away from projects he calls “wasteful” such as the “Bison on Dickerson Road.” He wants to work hard for residents of District 7, which he believes the current council member is not doing. When asked about fully funding Metro Nashville Public Schools, Williams explained he has “ideas for funding but would like to explore the government’s treasury and what is being paid out now.”

Deonté Harrell is a former EMT, volunteer firefighter and program coordinator at HCA and hospital bill auditor at Parallon. Following his career in healthcare, Harrell became a licensed realtor with Berkshire Hathaway in March 2022.

In 2021 he became the beautification commissioner for District 33, organizing lit-

ter walks and district cleanups. He has not previously run for public office.

Harrell did not respond to our inquiries for more information on his policy priorities, however his website says he hopes to make the community a better place with “E.A.S.E. - Equity, Affordability, Safety, and Education.”

BALLOT BREAKDOWN — METRO COUNCIL

CLAY CAPP

EMILY BENEDICT MARTEZ COLEMAN

DANNY WILLIAMS DEONTÉ HARRELL

Stephanie Montenegro has been a resident of Nashville since she was 10 years old and is currently pursuing a degree in Urban Studies at

COUNCIL DISTRICT 9

Tennessee State University. She volunteers as a Parent Outreach Translator for Metro Schools and works as a paralegal and a Multicultural Relations Specialist at On Demand Solutions, a bilingual HR services company.

Montenegro’s campaign priorities include increasing affordable housing by incentivizing development that prioritizes the well-being of Madison residents, fully funding the Barnes Fund, and recruiting landlords that accept Section 8 vouchers. She would like to ensure

University with a marketing degree. She worked at her family business, Bob Frensley Chevrolet, from a young age until 2019, when the family sold their business.

JENNIFER FRENSLEY WEBB

Jennifer Frensley Webb was born and raised in Goodlettsville where she still lives. She graduated from Belmont

At Bob Frensley Chevrolet, she started a charitable organization called “Strive to Drive,” which awards a car every year to one senior high school student who meets academic standards. After selling the family business, Webb and her husband started a construction business with their two sons. She currently holds a contract-

crosswalks are properly marked, create sidewalks for pedestrians, implement traffic calming measures, build bus shelters and increase connectivity into the current WeGo infrastructure. Montenegro supports fully funding our local public schools to increase teacher and support staff pay.

uate studies, she obtained her MBA at Webster University. In 2020, she earned a certificate from Georgetown University in education finance, finance strategy, policy and leadership.

State in Bulgaria.

Jeff Eslick grew up in Nashville and received a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State Univer-

Joe DeLucas was born in Pennsylvania and has lived in Nashville since 2018. He has mostly worked in retail and restaurants, and he is a musician and actor. DeLucas has volunteered for his homeowner’s association and the Tennessee Songwriters Association International.

This is DeLucas’s first run

sity. He currently resides in Old Hickory and runs an advertising agency.

If elected, Eslick’s top priorities will be investing in public safety by expanding the police force and increasing the number of School Resource Officers, managing the city’s growth by making sure new developments respect current residents and neighbors, and responding to Nashville’s homelessness issue by reducing the number of homeless encampments. He believes it is important to

ing license.

As a council member, Webb hopes to focus on improving community services and promoting growth in her district. Her priorities would be community housing, providing resources to the Nashville Fire Department and Police Department, and serving the needs of residents. When asked about license plate readers, the Titans stadium financing bill, and dedicated funding for WeGo, Webb expressed that she did not have enough information to have a position on those issues.

Tonya Hancock attended the University of Tennessee and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and statistics. Following her undergrad-

COUNCIL DISTRICT 10

TONYA HANCOCK ZACH YOUNG

Zach Young is a lifelong resident of Goodlettsville and a graduate of Belmont University. He currently works

COUNCIL DISTRICT 11

for public office. He is concerned about rising crime related to overpopulation and limited police presence. He supports police using license plate reader technology. When asked about the Titans stadium financing bill and dedicated funding for WeGo, he expressed he would need to look into the issues more closely.

continue cultivating tourism by investing in downtown Nashville and favors the new Titan Stadium deal.

Eslick is not in favor of increased property taxes and believes that once the requirements of the Metro Council’s Financial Reserve Policies are met, current tax rates should be lowered.

Hancock has worked in several career fields including as a sales consultant at Texas Instruments, an account manager at Oiselle, and she is currently a senior customer advisor at Amazon Business. From 2014 to 2018 she worked as a foreign service economic officer for the United States Department of

as a realtor for the Wilson Group. Since 2012, Young has served as City Commissioner of Goodlettsville.

Elected to Metro Council in 2019, Young has served as a member of the Codes, Fair and Farmers’ Market committee; the Personnel, Public Information, Human Relations committee; and the Public Works committee. Young has also been a part of several civic and community organizations including Rachel’s Garden Fundraising Committee,

As a council member, she sponsored legislation to end lifetime healthcare benefits for Metro Council members. During her first term, she also started a veteran’s caucus and championed the extension of Neely’s Bend to improve accessibility in Madison. Hancock voted for the license plate reader bill and the Titans stadium financing bill. Her current platform focuses on three areas: improving public education, making clean and safe neighborhoods and protecting parks and open spaces.

Madison-Rivergate Chamber of Commerce, and the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Young is proud of his work to ensure Nashville teachers are the highest paid in Tennessee and passing the Titans stadium financing bill. He also voted in favor of license plate readers. His current priorities are delivering tax dollars to District 10, creating strong public institutions, and ensuring fiscal health and balanced growth of a modern Nashville.

Sherard Edington was born in Mobile, Ala., and has lived in Old Hickory for 27 years. He received a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College in Memphis and a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. He was ordained as a minister 1991 and currently serves as the pastor of Old Hickory Presbyterian Church.

In 2003, Edington spoke in opposition at the Sol-

firm. Patton has previously held minor roles in political campaigns and volunteered with the Human Rights Campaign. He is currently on campaign leave from the local Old Hickory Neighborhood Association. Patton is an active member of Belmont United Methodist Church.

id Waste Region Board of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County’s hearing considering constructing a landfill in Old Hickory. Edington prioritizes public safety and wants to work with the Metro Nashville Police Department to find creative ways to retain police officers. According to his Facebook page, he is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.

Eric Patton has lived in Nashville for 13 years. He works as director of client relations at an accounting

If elected, Patton’s priorities are safer, well-funded schools, improved city services, and support for local small businesses. Patton opposed the Titans stadium financing bill and spoke at the

public hearing on the issue. He described his position on license plate readers as “mixed,” saying it’s reasonable technology for the police to have as long as it is used responsibly. Patton believes there are “nowhere near” enough police officers in Nashville and that it is dangerous to have an understaffed police department. He believes the Metro Council should focus on everyday issues, including growing homelessness and providing dedicated funding for WeGo.

STEPHANIE MONTENEGRO

JOE DELUCAS

JEFF ESLICK

SHERARD EDINGTON

ERIC A. PATTON

Jordan Huffman has lived in Nashville for 13 years. He attended East Tennessee State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and criminal justice in

COUNCIL DISTRICT 14

2009. Huffman has worked in campaign management and healthcare informatics. He is currently the Director of Product Management for I2I Population Health, a health technology company.

Huffman is the President of the Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Alliance, board member of Neighbor 2 Neighbor, and Metro Nashville Police Department Community Advisory Board. He is also part of the 2023 Good Neighbor Day Festival and a Steering Committee Member for the Greater Nashville Litter Cleanup. He is a member

of the Donelson-Hermitage Exchange Club and Chamber of Commerce.

He is running on the premise of controlling incoming development, combatting homelessness, and promoting community safety. He wants to prioritize opening the Antioch MNPD precinct and supports the use of license plate readers. He believes Nashville would benefit from hosting a large event such as a Super Bowl or World Cup, but he would have explored other options besides the Titans stadium financing bill passed in 2023.

R.J. MAMULA

RJ Mamula has lived in Nashville for eight years. He attended Purdue University, earning a bachelor’s degree in social studies education and a master’s degree in history.

COUNCIL DISTRICT 15

Nashville for 27 years and currently serves as the executive director at Lantern Lane Farm. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Aquinas College, a master’s degree in Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University, and an MBA from Amberton University.

Association and a board member of the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce.

Mamula worked as a tutor and a substitute teacher before his current career as an inventory auditor Under Armor and seasonal accountant for H&R Block. He is a member of the Donelson Lions Club and has also volunteered for the Donelson Gateway Project. Mamula also volunteers with Room In The Inn. He represents his district on the Davidson County Democratic Party Executive Committee and serves as the party secretary.

As a member of the DCDP Executive Committee, he introduced a resolu-

tion to allow disenfranchised felons to vote in Democratic primaries. His platform focuses on increasing access to job placement and housing for the homeless population. He wants to expand transit making Nashville, “designed for people not cars.” Mamula opposes license plate readers, the Titans stadium financing bill and tax abatements for corporations.

Jeff Gregg has lived in

He has been the board chair for Nashville Public Television, board chair of the Donelson Hills Neighborhood

If elected, Gregg says he will focus on Nashville’s traffic and infrastructure problems. He plans to support equitable economic development, revitalization and improved transit. He also believes Metro needs more police, fire, and paramedics on the force. He supports the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers.

Dan Jones is a U.S. Navy

COUNCIL DISTRICT 16

ba instructor for 12 years. Little has a master’s degree in education from Tennessee State University and has taught adult community education classes for over a decade. She volunteered with Hands On Nashville and Habitat for Humanity.

Alexa Little is a Nashville native who runs a property management company called Another You. She has been a Zum -

Little’s top priority is traffic calming in District 16. She plans to work with the Civic Design Center to create a plan for safer walkways, seeing a need for crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes and safe medians. Citywide, she would work

TONYA ESQUIBEL

to secure dedicated funding to WeGO, more buses with 24/7 service. Little would not have voted for the Titan’s stadium financing bill in 2023. Little would like to see the development of affordable housing that “the working class can actually afford.”

veteran who has lived in Nashville for three years. He currently works as the marketing director for GlockStore, a manufacturer and distributor of parts for Glock semi-automatic pistols. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern State University.

Jones describes himself as a “common sense conservative with a rock ‘n’ roll

soul.” He feels that the biggest issue currently facing his district is road conditions. He would not have voted to approve the new Titans stadium financing. Jones believes Metro needs more police officers beyond the currently unfilled positions, and believes that the council does have a role in working toward affordable housing for Nashvillians.

GINNY WELSCH

Ginny Welsch has lived in Nashville since 1985. She received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Tennessee State University and

COUNCIL DISTRICT 17

Cross Country Mortgage and has been in the home mortgage industry since 1995. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Christian leadership at Trevecca Nazarene University. Esquibel

is involved with several local charities including End Slavery and Youth Life Learning Center.

Esquibel believes her work experience will help make affordable housing a

COUNCIL DISTRICT 17 CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

is passionate about radio. She is a former on-air personality and news director at Lightning 100 and she founded Radio Free Nashville.

Welsch has served on and been the chair of multiple boards, including Nashville Peace and Justice Center and Americans United. She has also volunteered with organizations such as Walk Bike Nashville, Remote Area Medical Clinic and the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center.

Welsch’s top priorities are homelessness, affordable housing, and language

equity, and she believes the most significant issues facing her district are drag racing and speeding, noise and loud music, and lack of sidewalks. During her time in office, she has participated in the Mill Creek Cleanup and worked to add sidewalks and bike lanes. She voted against license plate readers and the Titans stadium financing bill. Welsch believes that her job is to listen, assess, and then make the best decision for the district and city because “everything is interconnected.”

reality for Nashvillians. She hopes to prioritize funding and resources for schools and build better community transit and roads. She believes the Titans stadium financing bill provides long-

term benefits to the city and supports license plate reader technology. She hopes to ensure decisions about the fairgrounds are made with the district’s best interests in mind.

JORDAN HUFFMAN

JEFF GREGG

ALEXA LITTLE

DAN JONES

Tonya Esquibel has lived in Nashville for 26 years. Equibel is a loan officer for

Teaka Jackson is a

Court Rule 31 civil and victim-offender mediator. She is certified in suicide prevention by the Department of Mental

BALLOT

COUNCIL DISTRICT 17 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Health, and is a notary public for Tennessee. She received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology from Tennessee State University.

Jackson founded Love Thy Neighbors, an organization that provides marginalized groups with education, tools and resources. She is a member of Music City Young Professionals and the NAACP. She has also won numerous awards, including the 2021 Mary Catherine Strobel Award from Hands on Nashville and the 2021 Women of Influence Award from The Nashville Business Journal.

Jackson hopes to improve

her district with sidewalks and bike connectivity, traffic calming measures, and pedestrian enhancements. She wants to protect the unique culture of her neighborhood and support investments in affordable housing. Jackson wants to collaborate with community based organizations to combat violence, increase support funding for crisis response, and mental health counseling for officers and the communities they serve. She does not support the current framework around license plate readers, saying it poses too many privacy concerns.

TERRY VO

A Nashville resident for 14 years, Terry Vo received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Arkansas and a master’s of governance and public

COUNCIL DISTRICT 18

bachelor’s degree in english from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Middle Tennessee State University.

After college, Cash returned to Nashville to teach English and government at Hillsboro and Hume-Fogg high schools. Cash is the president of the Hillsboro-West End Neighborhood Association.

Tom Cash is a lifelong Nashvillian. He earned his

Cash’s top priorities include supporting public

schools and improving infrastructure for people walking and biking. If elected to a second term he hopes to make safer crossings at 21st Avenue and West End, fill sidewalk gaps, maintain increased funding for schools, and earmark funds for social-emotional learning efforts and restorative practices. Cash voted against the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023 and for license plate readers in 2022.

A native Nashvillian, Angus Purdy received a

COUNCIL DISTRICT 19

State University before moving to Nashville. Hendricks is the CEO of Black Legislative Leaders Network and chief strategy officer for Social Strategies, LLC. He currently serves as vice chair of the Metropolitan Nashville Fair Board and on the board of directors for the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.

regional, national, and global news that highlights the voices and opinions of the Black community and Southern voices and opinions.

policy from the University of Queensland. Vo is currently a community affairs consultant and has served as an external affairs manager for Comcast.

Vo hosts Asian and Pacific Islander (API) nights for the Nashville Soccer Club and Nashville Predators. She is the founder of API Middle Tennessee and board president of the Chestnut Hill Neighborhood Association and the Tennessee Pride Chamber. Vo has also served Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, Dismas House, Knoxville Area Urban League, Tennessee Immigrant

& Refugee Rights Coalition, Young Leaders and Make a Wish Middle Tennessee. Vo seeks to promote public safety by creating impactful neighborhood events and by providing community groups with supportive resources. She does not support the Titans stadium financing bill or license plate readers. Vo proposes a revision of the property tax to be more equitable, expansion of housing options across price ranges to increase homeownership, fully funding our schools, and addressing failing infrastructure.

bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

Purdy currently owns and operates a courier business. He volunteers with the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition and Walk Bike Nashville and he participated in the People’s Plaza occupation.

Purdy wants to “focus less on the tourists and more on our neighbors.”

His priorities if elected would be affordable hous -

ing, supporting small, locally owned businesses downtown, more funding for public transit and education, specifically for District 18. He wants to explore innovative tools for traffic calming to improve safety for people walking and biking. Purdy has stated that if he had been on Council at the time, he would not have approved the Titans stadium deal or license plate readers.

He received degrees in music business and entrepreneurship from Belmont University.

Group.

Jasper Hendricks III is originally from Virginia, and he graduated with a degree in political science at Norfolk

Previously, Jasper served as an outreach adviser on presidential and congressional campaigns. Jasper is a co-host of the Funky Politics Podcast, a news talk podcast that covers

JONATHON TURNER

Jonathan Turner is a multigenerational Nashville native who graduated from Belmont University in 1987. After graduating, he became a policy analyst for Douglas

Jasper hopes to prioritize public safety, including community-based programming to deter violence and maintaining a fun and safe downtown Nashville. He will also seek to grow Nashville in a way that connects neighborhoods and is safe for walking and biking. He believes the Titans stadium financing bill was the best possible deal for the city.

Henry, the longest serving member of the Tennessee legislature. He is the current chair of the Tennessee Waltz Auction Committee, the fundraising organization for the state museum.

Turner works at EllisAmerica, a marketing and sales firm that specializes in pro

Originally from New York, Jacob Kupin moved to Nashville 10 years ago to work in the music industry.

and collegiate level sports. However, a 2023 report in the Nashville Scene found no public facing evidence of this company beyond a PPP loan and business registration documents. The same Nashville Scene report centered around Turner’s tenure as president of the Bennie

Kupin is founder and team lead at the Kupin Group of Realtors at Bradford Real Estate. He has served on the Participatory Budget Steering Committee and as president of the historic Buena Vista neighborhood association. Jacob volunteers with animal rescue and the Nashville Jewish community, serving as co-chair of the Nashville Young Jewish Professional

Dillon condominium association. Turner was behind on dues and accused of mismanaging the association’s financial reserves, spending money on lounge remodels and ignoring roof repairs. He was ultimately removed as president following a lawsuit in 2021.

Jacob’s priorities for council include improving public transit, income-aligned housing, and residential service needs. He hopes to navigate growth in a smart way and with supportive infrastructure. He believes there are benefits and costs to the license plate reader bill approved by Metro Council in 2022.

Turner’s policy stances revolve around fiscal responsibility in the face of Nashville’s booming economic growth. He supports an expansion of WeGo bus routes, more police officers beyond current vacancies and believes license plate readers combat human trafficking.

TOM CASH

JASPER HENDRICKS III

ANGUS PURDY

JACOB KUPIN

paralegal and a Tennessee Supreme

TEAKA JACKSON

ROLLIN HORTON

COUNCIL DISTRICT 20

Rollin Horton has lived in Nashville for four years. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Illinois State University and his law degree from the University of Connecticut. Currently, Horton works as legal counsel for a bank. In the past he served as a law clerk for a United States Senator. Horton is a board member of the Nations

Neighborhood Association and an officer and the regional vice chair of the Davidson County Democratic Party. This is Horton’s first run for public office. His campaign is focused on affordable housing and public safety. He states that the biggest issue in his district is the lack of, “sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic calming features.” He believes that

council has a key role in ensuring that housing remains affordable by building high density housing. When asked about how he would have voted on license plate readers and the Titans stadium bill, Horton said he would have been guided by his principles, keeping costs to a minimum, and safeguarding the privacy of Nashvillians.

COUNCIL DISTRICT 21

ing Nashville Forward and a co-founder of the Black Nashville Assembly and the Southern Movement Committee. He previously held leadership positions at Gideon’s Army. In 2019, Campbell-Gooch successfully ran for a vacancy in the newly created Community Oversight Board and remained a member until 2022.

Lifelong Nashvillian Jamel

R. Campbell-Gooch earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Tennessee State University and is the founder of Mov-

As a resident of North Nashville, Campbell-Gooch is dedicating his campaign to bringing stability to, in his words, an underinvested community. He is advocating for safe and affordable

housing as a human right, policing alternatives such as citizen mediation, and fully-funded public education as a means to combat criminality. Campbell-Gooch does not support the Titans stadium bill or license plate readers. He believes that a council member’s duty is both as the voice of his constituency and a leader who knows policies inside and out. His organizations are focused on racial justice, community solutions and securing specific goals such as a guaranteed basic income for Nashville residents.

SCOTT GILLIHAN

Scott Gillihan has been a resident of Nashville for 45 years. Gillihan currently works in tree maintenance with the Cumberland River Compact, is a volunteer planting captain with Root Nashville, and is a member of the Nations Neighbor-

Taylor worked as the director of major gifts for the Nashville Rescue Mission and as a senior development officer at Meharry Medical College.

hood Association. He formerly worked in the warehouse at Gibson Guitars. If elected, Gillihan’s main priorities will be improving public buildings, buying up land prone to flooding, and combating gentrification through affordable housing and proper zoning laws.

Thom Druffel received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and an MBA

from California State University. He is currently working on a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Middle Tennessee State University. Druffel works as a director of hospitality and instructor at Nashville State Community College. Before that, Druffel worked in the hospitality industry and as adjunct professor at Tennessee State University.

Elected to Metro Council in 2019, he has served on the Budget and Finance, Home-

Native Nashvillian Brandon Taylor received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Memphis. Before serving on Metro Council,

COUNCIL DISTRICT 23

less Oversight, and the Education committees. He also serves as a lector and usher at St. Ann Church and is a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Druffel’s top priority is for his district to retain its character. He believes in increasing government transparency and accountability, and funding workforce and career training for at-risk youth. Druffel voted in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers.

Lisa Williams moved from Memphis to Nashville in 2007 and received a degree

COUNCIL DISTRICT 25

Chattanooga and Atlanta. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Freed-Hardeman University, and a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Computer Science. Ackerman has been a consultant for most of his professional career. He is currently a project manager at Ellucian, a cloud-based software provider.

grew

Nashville,

Since his election in 2019, Taylor has been on the Public Safety, Beer and Regulated Beverages committee, the Affordable Housing committee, and is the vice chair of the Personnel, Public Information and Human Relations committee. He is a board member of Nashville Emerging Leaders and Friends of Hubbard House at Meharry College.

In the most recent legis-

lative session, Taylor voted no on the Titans stadium financing bill and attempted to pass an amendment that would have increased taxes on non-NFL events in order to bolster the city’s general fund. He also voted against license plate readers. Taylor’s present focus is making District 21 a safer place to live by making the same infrastructure improvements that were part of the East Bank deal in his community, combating illegal dumping, and through community involvement in development and policing.

in biology from Crichton College. Currently a stay-at-home mom, Williams has worked as a medical researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a tech transfer at NASA Ames Research Center.

Williams currently serves as a board member for Friends of Fort Nashborough, second vice regent of her chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, and a member of the Junior League of Nashville and the National Society of The Colonial Dames of

America.

Williams’s main priority is ensuring Nashville’s aging infrastructure keeps pace with its growth.

She feels that if we make transportation more accessible, citizens will be able to attain more affordable housing further outside of the city center. She hopes to work to expand The Barnes Housing Trust Fund. She believes license plate reader technology is showing good results and should be used carefully.

He has served on the board of the Nashville

chapter of Project Management Institute and Prevent Blindness Tennessee. He also volunteered with Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry and is a deacon at his church. Ackerman would prioritize traffic infrastructure, walkability, public safety and police visibility in areas outside of the downtown district, and recruit to fill open positions in Metro Nashville Police Department.

Jeff Preptit is a civil rights attorney for ACLU-TN. A Ten-

COUNCIL DISTRICT 25 CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

nessee native, Preptit attended Milligan College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. After college, Preptit worked with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism as an open source intelligence analyst. He attended law school at Lincoln Memorial University.

Preptit then went to work with the Nashville Public Defender’s Office. He is a board member of the Davidson Coun-

ty Young Democrats and volunteers with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

His top priority is supporting local businesses through an urban development plan based on community needs. He also feels that affordable housing is crucial for ensuring that our city be a sustainable center of commerce, and would support partnerships with non-governmental entities to invest in more accessible housing.

JAMEL R. CAMPBELLGOOCH

THOM DRUFFEL

BRANDON TAYLOR

LISA WILLIAMS

David Ackerman

up in West

DAVID ACKERMAN

JEFF PREPTIT

COUNCIL DISTRICT 25 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

ROLANDO TOYOS

Rolando Toyos is an ophthalmologist and medical director. He received a bachelor’s degree from University of California Berkeley and a

master’s degree from Stanford University. He worked as a teacher and basketball coach until attending the University of Illinois College of Medicine. Toyos went on to study ophthalmology at Northwestern University. In the late 1990s, Toyos moved

to Tennessee to direct a neonatal intensive care unit at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. Shortly after, he established his own practice called Toyos Clinic.

In 2018, Toyos was briefly a candidate for U.S. Senate in Tennessee but did not appear

COUNCIL DISTRICT 28

a pharmacist in Nashville for 31 years. David is vice president of the Ransom Place HomeOwners’ Association and Davidson County Democratic Party Executive Committeeman for District 17.

Benton feels we need more police officers, teachers, firefighters, emergency dispatchers and public workers to keep pace with our city’s growth.

on the ballot due to a law that required him to have voted in the four most recent statewide Republican primaries. Toyos describes himself as a “Reagan Republican” and is active within the Tennessee GOP.

He believes that Nash -

ville’s rapid growth has led to unintended consequences, such as crime, which need to be addressed. If elected, Toyos first priority will be to connect with local law enforcement leaders to determine what can “bring more order to our district.”

where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He currently works as a financial operations analyst for WonderBrands, a baked goods manufacturer.

David Benton has lived in Nashville for 34 years. After graduating from the University of Louisiana Monroe School of Pharmacy, he was

Benton’s focus for District 28 is equitable education, public safety, infrastructure, small business development, and neighborhood preservation. His vision for public safety focuses on reducing excessive speeding, car thefts and emergency response time. He is supportive of the new Southeast Police Precinct.

He plans to encourage his constituents to use hub. nashville.gov as a way to organize and connect neighbors to Metro departments for direct services. When asked how he would have voted on the Titans stadium financing deal, Benton said he would have asked himself how it benefited his district and how it benefited Nashville as a whole.

DAVID BENTON TRAVIS LONDON

Travis London was born and raised in Glasgow, Ky., and has lived in Nashville since 2017. Travis attended Campbellsville University

COUNCIL DISTRICT 29

ness administration from Tennessee State University and an MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University. Ellis is the founder of Ellis Strategies, a company that runs direct mail campaigns for political parties. Her employment history includes time with the Tennessee Democratic Party as well as roles in operations and communications.

a board member for the 260 Change Fund, and a mentor for TnAchieves.

London has previously been a campaign manager for Democratic campaigns for statewide office. He worked as a field organizer in Tennessee for Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign.

The most important issues to London are public transportation expansion, walkable neighborhoods,

and efficient citywide services. London would like to see development and infrastructure investments in Nashville’s neighborhoods, like southeast Davidson county, instead of downtown for only tourists to enjoy. London would not have approved the Titan’s stadium financing bill, explaining that an amendment allowing Metro to collect a consistent revenue stream might have persuaded him to consider approving.

Tasha Ellis has lived in the Nashville area for 21 years. She received a bachelor’s degree in busi -

She has served as treasurer of Davidson County Democratic Party and Davidson County Democratic Women,

ence from University of Tennessee at Martin. He currently works as a political consultant with Roundtable Consulting.

Ellis wants to work alongside Metro’s police chief to address infrequent patrolling, and supports increased police staffing to address public safety. She also hopes to address homelessness and youth and early childhood development. When asked how she would have voted on the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers, Ellis said she would need more information.

the Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville.

John Reed received a bachelor’s degree in political sci-

Reed got his start working with Howard Gentry’s Nashville mayoral campaign in 2015 and since has been involved in managing, consulting and field organizing campaigns at local and state levels. He was also a data analyst in South Carolina for Senator Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign.

Reed wants his district to

have walkable communities that are well-equipped to support thriving local businesses. Reed actively supports efforts to raise the minimum wage and would invest in public education and common-sense gun laws. He’s an advocate for reproductive justice and LGBTQIA+ rights. He believes everyone deserves to live no further than a 15-minute walk from a park or recreation area and wants to protect green spaces.

Jama Mohamed is an artist and software engineer with a bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking from

Having both a parent and a child with disabilities, the rights of people who are disabled is a top priority for Mohamed. While a Youth Program Coordinator at Family Voices of Tennessee, he developed inclusive youth programming and created a youth advisory council to support children and youth with disabilities. He participated in the People’s Plaza protest.

He believes that public safety would be improved by

There is little information available about Vetter’s education, work experience or volunteer experience.

On her website, Vetter describes the explosive growth of her neighborhood and the challenges it created including homelessness, lack of affordable housing and an infrastructure breakdown.

If elected, she plans to focus on crime prevention, stating on her website that she “will work with law enforce-

focusing resources on health and social services that prevent police involvement and creating safer, pedestrian friendly streets. He hopes to prioritize funding public schools, rent stabilization and inclusionary zoning.

Mohamed has questions about the Titans stadium financing bill given the team’s struggles on the field, and he describes himself as “not a fan” of license plate reader technology. He hopes to work on improving Nashville’s transit system.

ment and the community to develop activities and programs that will help take our neighborhoods back from the criminal element.”

TASHA ELLIS

JOHN REED

JAMA MOHAMED

Michele Vetter has lived in Nashville for 37 years.

MICHELE VETTER

Dia Hart is originally from Chicago and has lived in Nashville for six years. She earned her bachelor’s

COUNCIL DISTRICT 31

degree in computer information systems from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta and her master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University. Hart currently works in information technology at HCA Healthcare.

Hart worked for the Peace Corps for two years in Haiti before working for Rotary International. She has volunteered with United Way.

Hart’s campaign prioritizes responsible develop -

ment, supporting law enforcement to increase public safety, and good stewardship of county resources. She hopes to work on legislation that will honor the rule of law and strengthen election integrity, and she believes Nashville is safer for having implemented license plate reader technology. Hart supports housing programs that present opportunities to rent and purchase property.

John Rutherford has lived in Nashville for over 25 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration

COUNCIL DISTRICT 34

Tennessee Director of the Tennessee College Republicans. He worked for mayoral candidate Jeremy Kane’s campaign in 2015 and was the campaign manager and treasurer for Ron McDow’s run for state senate in 2016. He currently works as an finance operations analyst at UBS. He is an active member at Woodmont Christian Church.

Luke Austin Elliott is a Nashville native who attended University of Tennessee Knoxville and has not yet completed a degree. While in college, he was the East

Elliott’s top priorities include addressing crime and allocating more resources to law enforcement and community programs, controlling tourism, pro -

tecting Nashville’s identity, and being fiscally responsible. When asked about the Titans stadium financing bill, Elliott said he would have fought for more money from the Titans. Regarding license plate readers, he believes they should only be used for violent criminals. Elliott would like to use zoning codes to limit new construction profits, control traffic through traffic light sensors and get rid of unused bike lanes.

Sandy Ewing has lived in Nashville for 20 years and holds a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in environmental management and sustainability. Ewing has managed

COUNCIL DISTRICT 35

Jason Spain, a lifelong resident of Bellevue, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from the University of Tennessee. Ja-

son formerly worked for Congressman Bob Clement as a legislative aide and then joined Governor Phil Bredesen’s administration, where he focused on legislation and policy. Since 2010 he has been executive director of the Tennessee Public Transportation Association,

from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a master’s in policy from American Military University. Rutherford served in the U.S. Air Force before working in defense contracting. He currently works in the nonprofit sector.

Elected to Metro Council in 2019, his current committee assignments include the Planning and Zoning committee; the Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections committee, and the Human Services committee. He also co-chairs the Veterans Caucus.

His goals include protecting the rural areas of Southeast Nashville, connecting homeless veterans with veteran services organizations, building a new fire station, and hiring more police officers to improve response times. He believes WeGo must look at ways to offer service to extend service and believes this can be accomplished with the current funding model. Rutherford voted for and co-sponsored the license plate reader legislation and the Titans stadium financing bill.

large environmental policy and technology projects and currently works in the private sector developing sustainable military housing.

Ewing’s priorities relate to environmental and social sustainability including affordable housing options in development projects and making sure that developers adhere to the city’s Low Impact Development standards. Ewing advocates building 3,000 more units per year to begin making up the current affordable housing deficit and dedicating a stream of revenue for the Barnes Housing Trust

Fund. She prioritizes protecting green spaces and canopy cover to keep the city cool as the climate warms.

As the parent of a child with intellectual disabilities, Sandy has remained involved with the Metro Nashville Public School system and is also a member of the Tennessee Advisory Council for Access to Technology. Sandy believes that in order for Nashville to retain its status as an “it city,” Nashville must invest in its own resilience through protecting water resources, maintaining infrastructure and developing transportation options.

a statewide agency which focuses on improving access to public transit through advocacy with Congress and the Tennessee General Assembly, as well as other state and federal government agencies.

As a council member, Jason intends to advocate for de-

veloping a multimodal transportation network in Bellevue, which would enable access to downtown while still retaining the area’s distinct character.

Jason also plans to prioritize school safety and supports raising the starting salary for police officers in order to fill

vacant positions. He feels we should increase resources to the Barnes Fund and promote innovative solutions to housing affordability by piloting tools like guaranteed basic income. Spain says he would have voted in favor of the new Titan’s stadium financing.

DIA HART

JASON SPAIN

JOHN RUTHERFORD

SANDY EWING

KYONZTE TOOMBS

Kyonzté Toombs is an attorney, community leader, and PTA president. She is also the president of the Equity Alliance Fund and director of the Lawyers As -

JENNIFER GAMBLE

Chicago native Jennifer Gamble has lived in Nashville for over 30 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Fisk University and a master’s degree in mass com-

ERIN EVANS

Erin Evans has been a resident of Davidson County since 1996. She has worked as a legislative assistant in the Tennessee General As -

COUNCIL DISTRICT 2

sociation for Women. After completing her bachelor’s degree in African American studies at Vanderbilt University in 2001, Toombs earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt University Law School and an MBA from Emory University.

Toombs is a founding

member of The Equity Alliance, a grassroots organization that provides civic engagement for Black communities to educate and mobilize voters, develop civic leaders and monitor legislation. Elected to Metro Council representing District 2 in 2019, Toombs

COUNCIL DISTRICT 3

munications from Middle Tennessee State University. She runs a public relations business called Nelson PR and Communication Strategies.

In 2003, Gamble served as then-Councilmember Chester Hughes’s campaign treasurer. Upon his election

win, Gamble took over his position as president of the Bellshire Terrace Neighborhood Watch, coordinating Nashville Night Out events and publishing a quarterly newsletter informing residents of local issues. In 2014, Gamble served as Metro Beautification Commissioner

COUNCIL DISTRICT 12

sembly, as a public school teacher, and in the financial services industry.

Evans holds positions on The Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Association Board, the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Board, the Metro Beautification Commission

and the Coalition for Nashville Neighborhoods. She has participated in the Metro’s Citizens Police Academy, Leadership Donelson Hermitage, and the Metro Nashville Water Service’s Citizens Water Academy. Evans has held various committee

COUNCIL DISTRICT 13

Russ Bradford was born in Mississippi and has lived in Nashville since 2009. He received a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries sci-

SHERI WEINER

Sheri Weiner has been a resident of Nashville for 42 years. She received a doctorate in audiology from The University of Florida. Weiner

ence from Mississippi State University. Since 2013, he has been employed by a federal contractor with the Veterans Administration.

Elected to council in 2019, he currently serves as the vice chair of the Public Facilities, Arts, & Culture

committee, in addition to roles on the Planning and Zoning and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. Bradford is also a founding member of Metro Council’s LGBTQ caucus and serves as their secretary. His top priorities for this

COUNCIL DISTRICT 22

currently provides business consulting services to hearing healthcare centers.

During previous terms as city council member from 2011-2019, she played a role in several renovation projects in Bellevue, including One Bellevue Place, the Red

has served as vice chair of the Council’s Budget and Finance committee and as a member of the Affordable Housing committee; the Education committee; and the Planning, Zoning, and Historical committee.

Toombs seeks to find collaborative solutions to pre -

serve the history of North Nashville while revitalizing neighborhoods. She voted against the license plate reader bill in 2022 and for the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023. She plans to continue advocating for equity, affordability and safety for all Nashvillians.

for District 3.

Since her election to Metro Council in 2019, Gamble has served as vice chair of the Budget and Finance committee, and as a member of the Public Safety, Planning and Zoning, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. She voted in favor of

the license plate reader bill in 2022 and the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023.

Gamble seeks to foster strong neighborhoods through community engagement, improve infrastructure by investing in public transit, and fully fund Metro Nashville Public Schools.

memberships, including the Rules Committee and the Education Committee.

Evans’ top legislative priorities include homelessness and housing attainability, department service delivery and public health. She voted for license plate readers in 2022,

saying, “I ended up feeling comfortable with the framework enough to vote in favor.”

Evans did not vote in favor of the Titans stadium deal and believes that Metro Leadership should fulfill its promise to focus on other Nashville neighborhoods this term.

term include community and civic investments, responsible development, and environmental sustainability. He voted against the Titan Stadium deal and wants to see resources invested in his district including sidewalks, library branches and traffic

calming. In 2022, Bradford voted in favor of license plate readers. He does not support any initiative to increase property tax rates.

Caboose Park playground, the Ford Ice Center, the fire hall, the library and James Lawson High School. Weiner serves on the Metro Nashville Board of Fair Commissioners, the Board of Arts Bellevue, The Bellevue Community Foundation and the

Bellevue Harpeth Chamber of Commerce.

Weiner believes her, “moderation in all things political,” will help her achieve, “the task of bringing people with diverse views together for the greater good.” To achieve affordable housing,

Weiner believes city council should use ordinances and resolutions to facilitate public-private partnerships to increase the amount of housing. She supports the Titans stadium financing bill, the use of license plate readers and dedicated funding for WeGo.

RUSS BRADFORD

BRENDA GADD

Brenda Gadd has a bachelor’s degree from Maryville College and a law degree from Nashville School of Law. She has received certificates in

COUNCIL DISTRICT 24

campaign management from Yale University and executive leadership from Lipscomb University. Gadd currently runs ReThink Public Strategies, a public affairs consulting firm.

Gadd is a founding member of Emerge Tennessee, an

organization that advocates for Democratic women who want to run for office. She was a legislative liaison to former Governor Phil Bredesen and public policy coordinator for the Tennessee Bar Association. Gadd is the recipient of Nashville Busi-

COUNCIL DISTRICT 26

Courtney Johnston has been a Nashville resident for 22 years. She received a bachelor’s degree in finance from Louisiana State Uni -

versity. Courtney is a realtor, but since being elected to Metro Council in 2019 spends her time on council work.

Johnston is the vice chair of the Public Safety committee and describes fiscal responsibility as one of her

top priorities. An advocate for controversial license plate recognition technology, Johnston believes an increase in police presence is a necessity. Johnston feels that the affordability crisis is due to high demand and that the solution is increasing sup -

COUNCIL DISTRICT 27

Robert “Bob” Nash served for 30 years in the Metro Nashville Police Department. During his career, he spent six years as presi-

dent of the Fraternal Order of the Police. Nash received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Middle Tennessee State University.

Nash has served on the boards of the Nashville Prevention Partnership, Street

Works, and the Andrew Jackson Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police and also as chairman of the McMurray Hills Neighborhood Association. Elected to Metro Council in 2019, he currently serves as a member of the Public Safety, Beer and Reg-

COUNCIL DISTRICT 30

Sepulveda holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Trevecca Nazarene University and works as a community engagement and development manager at Conexión Américas.

As Metro Council’s only Latina representative, Sep -

ulveda is often the point of contact for Nashville’s Spanish-speaking residents. While progress has been made in providing translation services for Metro Council meetings, mailings and handouts are often only provided in English. Sepulveda often translates

COUNCIL DISTRICT 32

Joy Styles received a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and master’s from Purdue University. She serves on the advisory board for The

Salvation Army, is a steering committee member for Dismas House, and is vice chair for The Hope Clinic. Elected to Metro Council in 2019, she is currently vice chair of the Planning, Zoning and Historical committee. She is also a member of the Convention,

ness Journal’s 2020 Women of Influence award.

Gadd led a coalition to protect funding for Nashville’s first responders, public safety workers, teachers, community centers and public spaces called Save Nashville Now. She hopes

to strengthen Nashville’s neighborhoods by providing sidewalks, safe and reliable transit, greenways, and parks. Her priorities include honoring Nashville’s diverse faiths and backgrounds and building safe neighborhoods by investing in people.

ply. She supports investing in initiatives like the Barnes Fund and the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency.

Johnston voted to approve the Titans stadium financing and sees the East Bank development as an op -

portunity for family oriented entertainment for locals to enjoy. Her campaign reported nearly $50,000 in February with contributions from political action committees backed by the Titans, Waller, and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

ulated Beverages committee and the Public Works committee and vice chair of the Traffic, Parking and Transportation committee.

Nash’s top priority is public safety, focusing on police officer recruitment, neighborhood traffic calm-

ing, and sound financial practices. He voted in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers. Nash feels we need to incentivize the development of affordable housing and support for the Barnes Fund.

these documents herself and hopes to expand translation services to engage Nashville’s Arabic speakers.

Having a front-row seat to both the strengths and struggles of District 30’s residents has led Sepulveda to a platform grounded in advocacy

for improved infrastructure including paved roads, better stormwater management systems, and safe ways to walk to bus stops. She supports dedicated funding for WeGo. She voted against the Titans stadium financing bill and license plate readers.

Tourism and Public Entertainment Facilities committee; the Parks, Library, Arts and Recreation committee; and the Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections committee.

Styles is focused on recruiting mid-level restau-

COUNCIL DISTRICT 33

Antoinette Lee received a bachelor’s degree in edu -

cation from Norfolk State University and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the University of Phoenix. She has worked as a state lobbyist

for the Tennessee Education Association and the state’s teachers union.

Lee was first elected to Metro Council in 2017 and reelected in 2019. Currently,

rants, and working with NES to manage power outages in her district. She supports dedicated funding to WeGo to create more routes and transfer points across the city. She advocates for initiatives like The Barnes Fund to address affordable housing.

Styles voted in favor of license plate readers and the Titans stadium financing bill. She is supportive of ongoing developments in Antioch including Century Farms, the creation of a new police precinct in southeast Antioch, and the Global Mall.

she is a member of the Charter Revision committee; the Education committee; and the Rules, Confirmations & Public Elections committee. Lee abstained from voting

on license plate readers in 2022. She voted in favor of the Titans stadium financing bill in 2023.

Native Nashvillian Sandra Sepulveda was the first Latina individual to become a member of Metro Council when she was elected in 2019.

COURTNEY JOHNSTON

ROBERT (BOB) NASH

SANDRA SEPULVEDA JOY STYLES ANTOINETTE W. LEE

The New Christian Year

Selected by Charles Williams

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

7th Wednesday after Trinity

IT is the sign of a reasoning soul when a man sinks his mind within himself and has dealings in his heart.

St Seraphim of Sarov.

THE enthusiasm for goodness which shows that it is not the habit of the mind.

Patmore: The Rod, the Root, and the Flower.

7th Thursday after Trinity

ABSOLUTE poverty is thine when thou canst not remember whether anybody has ever owed thee or been indebted to thee for anything; just as all things will be forgotten by thee in the last journey of death.

Tauler: Sermons.

7th Friday after Trinity

I AM no companion for myself, I must not be alone with myself, for I am as apt to take as to give infection; I am a reciprocal plague; passively and actively contagious; I breathe corruption, and breathe it upon myself; and I am the Babylon that I must go out of, or I perish.

Donne: Sermons

7th Saturday after Trinity

LORD, I perceive my soul deeply guilty of envy . . . I had rather thy work were undone than done better by another than by myself! . . . Dispossess me, Lord, of this bad spirit, and turn my envy into holy emulation; . . . yea, make other men's gifts to be mine, by making me thankful to thee for them.

Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times

TO thee, O God, we turn for peace . . . but grant us too the blessed assurance that nothing shall deprive us of that peace, neither ourselves, nor our foolish, earthly desires, nor my wild longings, nor the anxious cravings of my heart.

Kierkegaard: Journals

WHAT did He, in loving us, love, but God in us? not who was in us, but so that He might be? Wherefore let each of us love the other, as that by this working of love, we make each other the habitations of God.

St Augustine, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

Seventh Sunday after Trinity

IF you have no will but to all goodness, everything you meet, be it what it will, must be forced to be assistant to you. For the wrath of an enemy, the treachery of a friend, and every other evil, only helps the Spirit of Love to be more triumphant to live its own life and find all its own blessings in an higher degree. Whether therefore you consider perfection or happiness, it is all included in the Spirit of Love and must be so, for this reason, because the infinitely perfect and happy God is mere love, an unchangeable will to all goodness; and therefore every creature must be corrupt and unhappy so far as it is led by any other will than the one will to all goodness.

William Law: The Spirit of Love

8th Monday after Trinity

LOVE and the good life are needful to right belief.

Wycliffe: Quicunque Vult

THOU hast not commanded us continency alone, that is, from what things we should refrain our love: but justice

also, that is, which way we should bestow that love: and, that it is not thy will to have us love thee only, but our neighbor also.

St Augustine: Confessions

The Feast of St James

HERE we may see the great virtue of true belief in that the faith and the belief of one man helpeth and saveth another: as the faith of the bearers of this paralysed man saved him. And also in the next chapter before the faith of the centurion gave healing to his servant. And also hereafter the faith of the woman saved her daughter. And so it falleth now that children baptised, and after dead before the years of discretion, be saved in the faith of their godfathers through the merit of Christ.

Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, (trs. by Nicholas Love).

8th Tuesday after Trinity

BEG our Lord to grant you perfect love for your neighbour, and leave the rest to Him. He will give you more than you know how to desire if you constrain yourselves and strive with all your power to gain it, forcing your will as far as possible to comply in all things with your sisters' wishes, although you may sometimes forfeit your own rights by so doing. Forget your self-interests for theirs, however much nature may rebel; when opportunity occurs take some burden upon yourself to ease your neighbour of it.

St Teresa: The Interior Castle

8th Wednesday after Trinity

TO love one another as oneself is only the halfway house to Heaven, though it seems as far as it was prudent to bid man go. The "greater love than this" of which our Lord speaks, though He does not command it, is to give oneself for one's friends. And when one does this, or is ready to do this, prayer even for "us" seems too selfish—and it is unnecessary, for we then possess all that God Himself can give us. The easy renunciation of self for the Beloved being the very breath of Heaven.

Patmore: Life

8th Thursday after Trinity

AN old man said, "One man is thought to be silent, and yet his heart judgeth and condemneth others, and the man who acteth thus speaketh continually; another man speaketh from morning till evening; and yet keepeth silence, that is to say, he speaketh nothing which is not helpful."

The Paradise of the Fathers.

WE love ourselves, because we are members of Jesus Christ. We love Jesus Christ, because He is the body of which we are members. All is one, one is in the other, like Three Persons.

Pascal: Pensées.

8th Friday

after Trinity

TO the Christian love is the works of love. To say that love is a feeling or anything of the kind is really an unChristian conception of love. That is the aesthetic definition and therefore fits the erotic and everything of that nature. But to the Christian love is the works of love. Christ's love was not an inner feeling, a full heart and what not, it was the work of love which was his life.

Kierkegaard: Journals

8th Saturday after Trinity

WHAT time we call to Jesus in our need bodily or ghostly, though we find it not anon but rather hardness and contrariety we shall not leave therefore to call upon him by good hope. Till through his mercy and grace the unsavoury water and cold of adversity and penance be turned into wine and comfort and ghostly liking.

Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, (trs. by Nicholas Love).

SCARCELY any one is contented with that measure of the spirit which God gives; they are very disconsolate and querulous because they do not find the comfort they desire in spiritual things.

St John of the Cross: Dark Night of the Soul GOD will be all in all; that is, since God is love, love will bring it to pass that what each has will be common to all. That which one loves in another is one's own, though one have it not. There will be no envy at superior grace, because of the unity of love.

St Augustine, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea

Eighth Sunday after Trinity

STOP, therefore, all self-activity, listen not to the suggestions of thy own reason, run not on in thy own will, but be retired, silent, passive, and humbly attentive to this new risen light within thee. Open thy heart, thy eyes, and ears to all its impressions. Let it enlighten, teach, frighten, torment, judge, and condemn thee as it pleases, turn not away from it, hear all it says, seek for no relief out of it, consult not with flesh and blood, but with a heart full of faith and resignation to God pray only this prayer, that God's Kingdom may come and His will be done in thy soul.

William Law: The Spirit of Prayer

9th Monday after Trinity

I CANNOT pray in the name of Jesus to have my own will; the name of Jesus is not a signature of no importance, but the decisive factor; the fact that the name of Jesus comes at the beginning is not prayer in the name of Jesus; but it means to pray in such a manner that I dare not name Jesus in it, that is to say think of him, think his holy will together with whatever I am praying for . . . So too with prayer in the name of Jesus, Jesus assumes the responsibility and all the consequences, he steps forward for us, steps into the place of the person praying.

Kierkegaard: Journals

9th Tuesday after Trinity

IF thou desirest to have this intent lapped and folden in one word, so that thou mayest have better hold thereupon, take thee but a little word of one syllable, for so it is better than of two; for the shorter the word, the better it accordeth with the work of the spirit. And such a word is this word GOD or this word LOVE. Choose whichever thou wilt, or another: whatever word thou likest best of one syllable. And fasten this word to thine heart, so that it may never go thence for anything that befalleth.

The Cloud of Unknowing

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Extra Terrestrial Baseball Hero Lands in Cincinnati

Near the beginning of this year’s baseball season, Joey Votto, Canadian-born, longtime first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, made an unusual prediction on MLB’s official webpage. He wrote that on April 15, 14 games into the 2023 baseball season, extra terrestrials would arrive on Earth. He said it would take five months for us to learn to communicate and befriend them. He went on to say that play would resume in October and that the Reds would sweep the playoffs to become World Series Champs.

When I text a friend of mine who was

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

struggling with the torture of knee replacement surgery in Cincinnati this fanciful tale she replied, “Well, looking forward to friendly extra terrestrials will give me something to live for. Actually, the Red’s winning the World Series seems more far fetched!”

The Reds haven’t been good for a very long time! The last time they ended the season with a winning record was 2013. But you know, maybe Votto knew something that the rest of us didn’t know. His dates were a little off, but for the first time in a very long time, the Red’s seem to be playing with skill,

What a wonderful day in the neighborhood!

BY LISA A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

It was a beautiful spring Saturday in April and I could have been out working hard selling the paper. But my neighbor and customer had just given me a beautiful bike. It was a little small for me and I wasn’t sure if I could use it except that it has a girls frame and I need that for my back right now. So I took both my bikes to the bike fest and had the blue one fixed up for me for free. I gave my other bike, a men’s bike that fit me better, but wasn’t working for me, to the representatives of the Oasis Center. They work with kids, teaching them to fix and sell bikes. They are also a safe house for underage kids.

Patagonia was there handing out free stickers, decals and decorations for helmets and bikes. I got some handlebar streamers made out of old bike tires, and some shiny things! I chose lightning bolts for my helmet.

I won the lime green drink holder in the (free!) raffle, plus some venison snacks from Patagonia. What a wonderful day in the neighborhood!

B Cycle was there and explained that they are offering accessible bike riding in the greater downtown area. That means you don’t have to have a phone that can read a QR code or a credit card. You can use a debit card. Go to www.visitmusic city.com/local-business/nashville-bcycle to register and prepay for a monthly pass. They are aiming to make bicycle rentals more accessible to more people downtown. That is good news for us Contributors ! The bikes are electric assist, topping out at 17 mph. The electric only works when you pedal, folks, so it is not a tiny moped! But that makes it much easier to get up and down the hills. There were lots of other electric bikes, a place to ride around and try them out, and lots of families having fun. Of course, Walk/ Bike Nashville was recruiting people to come and make Nashville a more walkable, bike-able city. Overall, I came away feeling good that I gave away a bicycle, and then came home with a great one, all for free!

joy, and determination — even 39-year-old Joey Votto. As of this writing, the Red’s are in first place in the NL Central Division.

And what was the spark that lit the fire under the 2023 Cincinnati Reds? On June 6th of this year, the team brought up Dominican-born Elly De La Cruz from the minor leagues. Since joining the team, De La Cruz has excelled in almost every aspect of the game. The 6’5”, switch-hitting infielder is currently hitting an impressive .333. He’s stolen seven bases and last week he hit for the cycle-that’s a single, double, triple and

home run in the same game. At just 21, he is the youngest rookie to do that since 1975.

At the end of Votto’s post he wrote, “SIDE NOTE: The aliens ask if I would like to accompany them on their ship back to their planet. I oblige. Never to be seen again.”

Professional athletes don’t play for a lifetime. At 39, maybe Joey Votto is looking to retire from the game he’s played so well for so long. Let’s hope Elly De La Cruz has as long and successful career as Votto. That would go a long way toward numbing the pain of my friend’s new bionic knee.

The Lilies of the Field By Lisa A. #5843

Why worry about how we will survive? Like the lilies of the field or the swallows in the sky, even without family- we have each other.

Volunteer Spotlight on Annie Rees

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Contributor readers are you ready to meet our newest volunteer, Annie? Just how new is she? I had the pleasure of interviewing her on her very first day with the paper and she took it all in stride!

She is a local girl from right here in Nashville where she attended Hume-Fogg High School. She’s been away at college at the University of Chattanooga for one year focusing attention on her Humanities/Liberal Arts degree.

In case you’re wondering, as I was, this degree instructs individuals on different methods of how to learn, to think, to write and communicate effectively with others, helping them advocate for jobs, positions and roles they are seeking to acquire when pursuing various employment opportunities.

It’s appears to be an open field with lots of

potential, and a vast number of possibilities.

She’s undecided as to exactly what she wants to do with her degree, but the one thing she knows for certain is she wants to establish a sense of community after feeling disconnected during her time away at college. (I can attest that such an environment exists within The Contributor organization) and ultimately, she wants to help people.

So how did she come in contact with The Contributor? Her mom has frequently bought the paper for many years and as a result Annie has been reading them since she was a child! Way to go, Annie!

Wanting to know more, she did research on The Contributor while she was away at college in Chattanooga. That led to a phone call. She must’ve liked what she heard, because she’s here now!

Since this was her first day, I had to ask how she liked the paper release meeting. She said, she “loved it” especially how the other volunteers know the vendors by name!

She says she’s looking forward to building relationships, networking with others, and getting to know the vendors by name as the other volunteers do. That is what her degree is about after all: PEOPLE.

She says she wants others to get involved, saying, “There are plenty of opportunities out there. All you have to do is look!”

Annie told me she’s VERY close to her family including parents and her 16 year old brother.

As a singer she particularly enjoys musical theater and choir with an emphasis on jazz and pop styles and she has developed a special fondness for a cappella style music. (For those

who don’t know, that’s singing without musical accompaniment.) Now that is music to my ears!

She gave me a small sample during the course of this interview — it was lovely!

While our styles are definitely different, EVERYBODY knows how much I LOVE music!

It is my sincere hope that she finds the sense of community she is seeking, and that she continues to sing the praises of The Contributor to everyone she knows as well as others she meets who may not be as familiar with the paper as she is.

Welcome aboard, Annie!

Editors Note: We’re currently looking for more volunteers! Especially people who can commit to at least one 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. shift per week. Email Chelsea@thecontributor.org if you’re interested.