Bill Purcell is the fifth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, elected first in 1999 and reelected to a second term in 2003 with a record setting 84.8 percent of the vote. During his tenure Nashville has seen unprecedented economic expansion, earning back-to-back designations in the past two years by Expansion Management magazine as the hottest city in America for corporate relocation or expansion. His efforts on behalf of schools have drawn national attention as a model for mayors across the country, and he has also provided increased funding for public safety. His attention to Nashville’s quality of life ranges from the arts to the parks, and from the Symphony to the Opry. Through his efforts the city has provided land for the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and he has urged the Parks Board to pursue a master plan of the park system that is resulting in an unprecedented expansion of parks and greenways across the city. Under Mayor Purcell’s leadership, downtown Nashville is also enjoying a residential renaissance, and he is continuing development efforts to bring more people and businesses to Nashville’s downtown and nearby areas through infrastructure improvements.

Prior to his election as mayor, Bill Purcell served five terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives beginning in 1986. A former House Majority Leader and Chair of the Select Committee on Children and Youth, his work in the legislature positioned him in the forefront of education, health care, workers compensation, and criminal sentencing reforms. An attorney by profession, he received his law degree from Vanderbilt University and is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Vanderbilt Law School. . . . short bio

Bill Purcell is the fifth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, elected first in 1999 and reelected to a second term in 2003 with a record setting 84.8 percent of the vote. During his tenure Nashville has seen unprecedented economic expansion, earning back-to-back designations in the past two years by Expansion Management magazine as the hottest city in America for corporate relocation or expansion . . . full bio