Mayor Bill Purcell

Mayor Bill Purcell served as the fifth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, elected first in 1999 and reelected to a second term in 2003. In 2006 Purcell earned GOVERNING magazine's "Public Official of the Year" honor as a mayor "who simultaneously improved his city's quality of life and spurred business expansion with an ambitious agenda that included strengthened public schools and revitalized neighborhoods."

Purcell's efforts on behalf of schools drew national attention as a model for mayors across the country. The Mayor's "First Day Festival" kicks off the opening of each school year and brings the attention of the whole city and region to the importance of education. Under his administration school funding rose from $397 million to $563 million-a 42% increase over seven years.

As mayor, Purcell focused on improving the city's infrastructure and amenities. Purcell's first act as mayor was the creation of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods. Throughout his administration he worked tirelessly to help neighborhoods work with the government to improve services. His monthly Mayor's Nights Out event brought the city government including police and fire chiefs and department directors into the neighborhoods to respond to concerns.

Purcell also created an Office of Affordable Housing to spur the development of more than 26,000 affordable housing units since 1999. He focused on increasing the availability of downtown residential units and preserving housing stock in the city's historic neighborhoods.

Prior to being elected mayor, Purcell served as director of the Child and Family Policy Center at the Vanderbilt Institute of Public Policy Studies, a nationally recognized center building a bridge between academic research, politics and best practices to benefit children and their families.

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