Megan Barry

Megan Barry
7th Mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Assumed office
September 25, 2015
Preceded by Karl Dean
Personal details
Born Megan Christine Mueller
(1963-09-22) September 22, 1963
Santa Ana, California
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Bruce Barry
Children Max
Alma mater Baker University
Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University
Profession Ethics-compliance officer
Religion Roman Catholicism[1]
Website www.meganbarry.com

Megan Christine Barry (née Mueller; born September 22, 1963) is the 7th mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, a post she has held since 2015. She is the first woman to hold the post. Previously, she served as a Council Member At Large on the Nashville-Davidson Metropolitan Council.

Although elections in Nashville are nonpartisan, Barry, like nearly all elected officials in the city, is a Democrat. She is the first Metro mayor to have previously served on the Metro Council.[2] In addition to being Nashville's first woman mayor, Barry is also the fourth mayor since 1991 of non-native Tennessean origin (the others being Phil Bredesen, Bill Purcell, and Karl Dean).

Early life and education

Barry was born on September 22, 1963 in Santa Ana, California. She grew up in Overland Park, Kansas. She earned a bachelor's degree from Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas and an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Business career

Barry spent several years as a specialist in business ethics and corporate responsibility for the multinational telecommunications firm Nortel Networks. From 2003 to 2012, Barry was vice president of ethics and compliance at Premier, Inc., a health-care group purchasing organization. She has also worked as Principal of Barry & Associates, an independent consulting organization to multinational corporations on issues dealing with business ethics and corporate social responsibility.

Political career

Metropolitan Councilwoman At Large

Barry was first elected to one of the five at-large seats on the 40-member Metro Council in September 2007,[3] and won re-election to a second four-year term in August 2011. In winning re-election she was the top vote getter among the five incumbents who successfully sought a second term.[4]

During her first term on the council, Barry chaired the council's Budget and Finance Committee and the Education Committee. In 2009 she led an effort in the council to pass a bill banning discrimination against city employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity.[5] During the 2013-14 council year she chaired the Rules Committee and served as a member of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Personnel Committee.

Barry performed the first same-sex wedding in Nashville on June 26, 2015.[6]

2015 Mayoral Campaign

Barry started her mayoral campaign in April 2013, filing paperwork with the Davidson County Election Commission naming Nashville attorney Leigh Walton as her campaign's treasurer.[7] She received the largest total of votes for mayor in this election, but did not achieve an absolute majority of votes cast in the race, setting up her runoff race against hedge fund manager David Fox, the second-place finisher. The runoff was noted by many as a particularly dirty campaign, with both candidates launching various personal attacks against the other.[8]

Barry raised US$1.1 million in political contributions during her campaign.[9] She received US$1,500 from Wayne T. Smith, who serves as the CEO of Community Health Systems, and an additional US$1,500 from R. Milton Johnson, who serves as the CEO of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA).[9] She received an additional US$5,000 from HCA.[9] Additionally, Barry received US$1,500 from Damon T. Hininger, the CEO of Corrections Corporation of America, and another US$1,500 from its Chairman, John D. Ferguson.[9] Another notable donor was Mike Curb, the founder of Curb Records.[9] She also received US$7,600 from the Nashville Business Coalition, a business organization.[9]

Barry won a decisive victory over David Fox in a September 10 runoff election.[2]

Mayor of Nashville

Barry took office on September 25, 2015, becoming the first woman to hold the post and the second woman to serve as mayor of one of the "Big Four" cities in Tennessee. Her inauguration was held in the Music City Center in Nashville. The theme was "We Make Nashville".

Community roles

Barry is an Emeritus Board Member of the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association and served as the first chairperson of The Conference Board's Global Council on Ethics and Business Practices. She also served as the Associate Director of the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership at Vanderbilt University

Barry serves on the board of directors of Nashville's Center for Non-profit Management, the Nashville Repertory Theater, the Belcourt Theater, and the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. She is a member of the Ethics Advisory Board for the Belmont University College of Business Administration. She served as co-chair for the Conexión Americas annual "El Cafecito" event in 2013.

Personal life

Barry is married to Bruce Barry, a professor at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. The couple has one son, Max.

Electoral history

Nashville Mayoral Run-Off Election, September 2015[10]
Candidate Votes % ±
✓ Megan Barry 60,519 55
David Fox 49,694 45
Nashville Mayoral Election, August 2015[11]
Candidate Votes % ±
✓ Megan Barry 24,553 23.5
✓ David Fox 23,754 22.8
Bill Freeman 22,308 21.3
Howard Gentry 12,110 11.5
Charles Robert Bone 10,962 10.5
Linda Eskind Rebrovick 5,827 5.6
Jeremy Kane 4,767 4.6
Nashville Council At-Large Election, August 2011[12]
Candidate Votes % ±
✓ Megan Barry 30,212 11.9
✓ Ronnie Steine 29,262 11.6
✓ Tim Garrett 28,017 11.1
✓ Charlie Tygard 26,982 10.7
✓ Jerry Maynard 25,851 10.2
Eric Crafton 20,528 8.1
Vivan Wilhoite 17,659 6.9
Sam Coleman 15,437 6.1
Ken Jakes 12,396 4.9
Renard Francois 10,516 4.2
Donna Crawford 10,263 4.1
Charles Townsend, Sr. 6,972 2.8
James “Jim” Maxwell 4,967 2
Keith Speer 3,224 1.3
Don O’Donniley 3,080 1.2
Sajid Usmani 3,064 1.2
J Wooten 2,344 0.9
Donald Ray McFolin 1,429 0.6

Barry also ran in the August 2007 Nashville Council At-Large Election, but those returns are not available from the Davidson County Election Commission. In 2007, Barry won her first term to the Council as an At-Large Councilwoman.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Apel, Kara. "Megan Barry discusses her faith after endorsement from ministers".
  2. 1 2 "Megan Barry Elected Nashville Mayor", "The Tennessean", September 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Barry, Steine, Tygard and Maynard Win At-Large Races", NewsChannel5.com, retrieved March 9, 2014.
  4. ↑ Joey Garrison, "With a Blend of Progressivism and Business Acumen, Barry Sets Up Her Future", Nashville City Paper, August 14, 2011.
  5. ↑ Julie Bolcer, "Nashville Nondiscrimination", The Advocate, September 17, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Page not found - WJHL".
  7. ↑ Joey Garrison, "Council's Megan Barry lays groundwork for potential mayoral run", The Tennessean, April 23, 2013.
  8. ↑ "In Mayoral Race, Nashville Politics Forgets Its Manners", The New York Times, September 9, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Harrison, Scott (September 8, 2015). "Barry vs. Fox: Who the biggest business names have their money behind for mayor". Nashville Business Journal. Nashville, Tennessee. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Nashville > Page Not Found".
  11. ↑ "Nashville > Election Commission > About > Historical Information > Election Returns > 150806".
  12. ↑ "Nashville > Election Commission > About > Historical Information > Election Returns > 110804".
Political offices
Preceded by
Karl Dean		 Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee
2015–present 		Incumbent
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