Thomas Frederick O'Connell (born 1976/1977) is an American politician and currently serves as the 10th Mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. From 2015 to 2023, he served as a member of the Nashville Metro Council representing the 19th district.
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Early life and career
O'Connell was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Beatrice, a retired teacher, and Tim, a federal civil servant and part-time songwriter. He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 1995, and earned two bachelor's degrees from Brown University in 2000, one in Music and the other in Computer Science. He is of Jewish descent through one of his grandparents.
O'Connell began his career in software and technology, working for startups and publicly traded companies. He was also president of the Salemtown Neighbors Neighborhood Association. From 2005 until 2010, he co-hosted a political talk show on WRVU, the Vanderbilt University student radio station.
Political career
In 2002, O'Connell ran as an Independent against future Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell.
O'Connell formerly served as a board member and chair of the board for the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority. While municipal elections in Nashville are officially nonpartisan, O'Connell is a registered Democrat.