Message from the Mayor

Tennessee is the volunteer state and with that legacy comes great responsibility.  As Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee’s capital city, I not only believe in the amazing power of volunteers but have seen that power firsthand. 
 
On September 10, 2009, I joined Mayor Bloomberg as a founding member of the Cities of Service Coalition.  As I stood alongside Mayor Bloomberg and fifteen other Mayors from across the country, I pledged to find creative ways to utilize volunteers to address local challenges.  At that time, I had no idea how much I would rely on the spirit and force of volunteers in the months to come. 
 
In May, 2010, Tennessee experienced a historic flood, the 4th largest non-hurricane disaster in U.S. history.  In Nashville, 10,000 private properties were affected, and the city suffered over 2.5 billion dollars in damages.  Despite these staggering numbers, the flood of 2010 will be most remembered for how the waters did not rise nearly as high as the waves of volunteers and the groundswell of community pride and support.
 
As mayor, nothing has made me more proud than the way our citizens responded to the May flood – neighbors helping neighbors, churches helping congregation members, and complete strangers helping other strangers. Nashvillians can accomplish anything that we collectively apply our minds, hands and hearts to.