Executive Director, Metropolitan Historical Commission

Full Job Description

The Metropolitan Historical Commission (MHC) is Nashville’s municipal historic preservation agency, created in 1966 to protect the city’s historic resources.

Its mission is to document history, preserve the built environment, and increase public awareness of the necessity and advantages of preservation.

The Commission is composed of 15 citizen members appointed by the Mayor, supported by a professional staff since 1973.

The MHC also works closely with the Metropolitan Historic Zoning Commission, created in 1978, which administers historic zoning regulations in local preservation and conservation districts.

The Executive Director of MHC is responsible for providing strategic leadership, operational management, and professional expertise to advance Nashville-Davidson County’s historic preservation mission.

Reporting to the Commission, the Executive Director oversees staff, programs, and community initiatives to protect, interpret, and promote the county’s historic resources.

A full position profile is available on our website.

As a government agency, all applications are subject to public disclosure.

Requirements

Leadership & Administration

• Directs the operations of the Historic Preservation Department under the oversight of the Historical Commission.
• Supervises a staff of nine full-time and two part-time employees.
• Manages the department’s annual budget and develops strategies for improvements and funding requests.
• Provides professional guidance to the Commission, the Davidson County Historian, and community stakeholders.
• Builds strong partnerships with the Mayor’s Office, Metro Council, state representatives, and other Metro departments (Parks, Planning, Finance, NDOT, Schools, Water, Codes, Legal, and General Services).

Historic Preservation & Community Engagement

• Advises Metro departments and community partners on historic preservation issues.
• Develops and maintains educational programming, outreach, and community relations initiatives.
• Serves as ex-officio on nonprofit Friends Groups boards supporting historic preservation, including Nashville City Cemetery Association, Friends of Fort Negley, Friends of Two Rivers, Friends of Aattifama’ Archaeological Park, Friends of Fort Nashborough, and the Nashville Historical Foundation.
• Applies for and manages federal, state, and local grants supporting historic resources.

Historic Sites & Program Oversight

• Oversees the management of the c.1822 Nashville City Cemetery (National Register site) and Davidson County’s inventory of ~550 cemeteries.
• Works with the National Park Service’s Surplus Properties Program, including biennial reporting for city-owned properties such as Customs House and Union Station.
• Maintains and updates signature programs:
  • Historical Marker Program
  • Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture
  • Preservation Awards
  • Nashville Sites (mobile-friendly app)
  • Countywide Survey of Historic Resources

Regulatory & Advisory Duties

• Provides comment on federal Section 106 Review projects to the Tennessee Historical Commission.
• Reviews National Register nominations for Davidson County properties and submits recommendations to the TN State Review Board.
• Reviews proposals in MDHA Redevelopment Districts to assess impacts to historic resources.
• Works with the Tennessee State Archaeologist to preserve archaeological sites and artifacts on public property.

Publications & Storytelling

• Oversees the development of brochures, booklets, and books that share Nashville’s historic narrative in a comprehensive and accessible way.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in history, historic preservation, architectural history, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working in historic preservation or closely related field.

Note: Per Metro Ordinance No. SO94-1078. All employees of the Metropolitan Government shall be residents of the State of Tennessee or become residents of the state within six (6) months of employment as a prerequisite to employment with the Metropolitan Government.

Additional Information

• Advanced degree in history, historic preservation, architectural history, or a related field.
• In-depth knowledge of the history of Nashville-Davidson County and Tennessee.
• Experience with federal, state, and local historic preservation laws and policies.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership and manage staff, budgets, and programs.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative partnerships with governmental, nonprofit, and community stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and publication development.
• Experience managing grants and capital projects related to historic resources.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. Metro Nashville is committed to selecting the most qualified candidate for each of our roles.

Metro Nashville Government respects the religious beliefs and practices of all employees and will make, on request, an accommodation for such observances when a reasonable accommodation is available that does not create an undue hardship on business operations.

Requests for ADA or other protected accommodations for the recruitment process should be directed to Human Resources at 615-862-6640.