Jenneen Kaufman Reed
The Metro Finance Department officially has a new director, but she’s not a new face to the city.
Jenneen Kaufman Reed was unanimously confirmed at the Metro Council’s most recent meeting and will take over the position from interim finance director Kevin Crumbo in January. Reed was interviewed by the Rules, Confirmations and Public Elections Committee on Oct. 1, with that body ultimately voting 7-0 to recommend her for council confirmation.
During the process, Reed discussed her background in finance, having worked in the industry for more than 30 years, as well as her history with Metro as a deputy finance director and chief accountant. Her previous work for the city provided insight into what she hopes to bring to her new position — namely, her resolve to bring continuity and stability to the finance team.
“While I was here at Metro, I had three different finance directors,” Reed said during her Oct. 1 interview. “And when you’re constantly changing directors, it’s really hard to get into a rhythm and feel secure in that role. So that’s one of the things that I really want to bring to the table.”
Reed’s confirmation came after three people served in the finance director position in four separate terms over the past five years.
During the interview, Reed said she hoped to make the finance department more efficient through the addition of Oracle Cloud, so as to eliminate a lot of the “paper shuffling.”
She also noted her appointment comes ahead of new challenges facing the Metro Finance Department.
“There’s the transit plan coming up pretty quickly on the ballot; there’s also the East Bank,” she said. “We also have the budget process that’s getting ready to kick off, and I think the CSP is about to get going as well. So there’s a lot of, I like to call them opportunities, to really bring my skill set, to bring continued financial stability to this role.”
Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit proposal will cost about $3.1 billion if approved. Nashvillians will vote on the plan via a referendum, with early voting underway. A key part in the ongoing transit discussion — the East Bank development — is expected to cost Metro $227 million for its infrastructure.
In addition to the plans for affordable housing units and bike and pedestrian pathways for the East Bank, Metro is in the midst of the $2.1 billion project for a new Titans stadium. The city and state assumed $760 million and $500 million in bonds, respectively, while the Titans and NFL will cover the other $840 million. Metro began making payments on its $760 million in February.
When Reed begins in January, Metro’s budget review and investment request process will be in full swing. All departments will submit their final prioritized requests for review to the Metro Finance Department Office of Management and Budget by early February.
Reed brings her experience working in public, private and nonprofit finance and administrative roles, including three years as deputy director of the Metro Department of Finance, 23 years as senior vice president and chief financial officer for the Tennessee Titans and, most recently (and since November 2023), as chief financial officer for the Nashville Symphony (read more here).
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
