Karl Dean

Mayor in Residence, Boston University Initiative on Cities; Former Mayor, Nashville, TN

Karl Dean served two consecutive terms as Mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County from 2007 until 2015. During his years in office, Mayor Dean worked diligently to improve Nashville’s quality of life by promoting health, sustainability, community development, and volunteerism. In addition to serving as the first Mayor in Residence at the Boston University Initiative on Cities, Mayor Dean is also BU’s Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science. He teaches a course called The Contemporary American City: Challenges and Opportunities.