Mayor Freddie O’Connell

"Hosting Nissha Medical Technologies at the former site of our Stadium Club on West End Avenue will give our faculty and students extraordinary new opportunities to work with a leader in advancing medical devices—a strategic research priority for Vanderbilt and our region," Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said during a news conference on campus announcing the partnership. Read More

ON THE HILL is a report produced by the Division of Government and Community Relations summarizing activity at all three levels of government, as outlined by the Vanderbilt Federal Relations, State Government Relations and Local Government Relations teams. Read More

On April 8, the alliance held an event at the Student Life Center focused on building our city’s local technology workforce: “Tech Talent at Scale: World-Class Expertise for Upskilling Nashville’s Workforce.” With discussions on strengthening Nashville’s tech talent pipeline and insights from distinguished experts and industry leaders, this event identified novel collaborative solutions to help bring higher-paying jobs to more Nashvillians and to position the region as a premier center for innovation. Read More

Eighteen months since taking office, Mayor Freddie O’Connell continues to enjoy broad public approval. The 2025 Vanderbilt Poll–Nashville found his favorability among Nashville residents at 67 percent—a very high level of approval for any elected politician that underscores the success of his first year and a half in office. O’Connell’s positive assessment aligns with the emerging consensus that Nashville is headed in a better direction than it was a few years ago.  Read More

What if AI could fight fires? The first Nashville Tech Studio grant awarded by the Nashville Innovation Alliance fosters a collaboration between the Nashville Fire Department and Vanderbilt University that will analyze data to help allocate resources, determine optimal staffing levels and even predict future incidents.   Read More

ON THE HILL is a biannual report produced by the Division of Government and Community Relations summarizing activity at all three levels of government, as outlined by the Vanderbilt Federal Relations, State Government Relations and Local Government Relations teams. Read More

What does a better-connected Nashville look like? For Vanderbilt University, it means a campus that is seamlessly linked to the city through frequent, reliable public transit, safer sidewalks and smarter traffic signals—all of which are on the horizon with the approval of the “Choose How You Move” transportation referendum. On Nov. 5, voters in Davidson County approved the $3.1 billion transit plan; 66 percent of ballots cast were in favor of the city’s transportation system overhaul. Approval of the referendum triggers a half-cent increase in sales tax that will take effect Feb. 1.  Read More

“The cities that thrive in this century are those that offer a home and opportunities to researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Our next step must be to cultivate our home-grown innovation technology.” With those words, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier set the vision for the Nashville Innovation Alliance Ecosystem Forum, the… Read More

Vanderbilt University has joined Mayor Freddie O’Connell, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, First Horizon, the Metro Housing Division and other funding partners in launching the Nashville Catalyst Fund. This innovative initiative aims to address Nashville’s affordable housing challenges through a new tool designed to create, preserve and develop more affordable housing options across the city.  Read More

The Nashville Innovation Alliance seeks to bring together public, private, civic and education institutions to collaborate on improving the region’s ecosystem for innovation and to research, develop and deploy technology and analytically based solutions to challenges facing Nashville and Davidson County. Read More

Vanderbilt University hosted the 2024 Intelligent Transportation Society of Tennessee Annual Meeting, fostering collaboration among experts to address Tennessee’s transportation challenges, drive mobility innovation, support regional growth and enhance livability in Nashville and beyond. Read More

The gathering, centered around open discussion with Mayor Freddie O’Connell regarding the “Choose How You Move” transportation plan, was held Monday, May 20, in collaboration with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Moving Forward. Read More

Things to Know:  Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when more than 2.2 million people turned off their lights for one hour.   In 2023, Earth Hour saw over 410,000 hours pledged to the Hour Bank. … Read More

Michael Briggs, director of mobility in Vanderbilt’s Office of Transportation and Mobility, will serve as a Vanderbilt-appointed adviser for the office of Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell through the end of 2024 to consult on metro mobility and transit initiatives.   Read More