Mayor Freddie O'Connell has appointed Leah A. Dundon to serve as the mayor's designee to the Planning Commission, which oversees the physical development of Metro Nashville and Davidson County.
Dundon is a research assistant professor at Vanderbilt University School of Engineering where her research and teaching focus is sustainability, climate education with a focus on international treaties, and infrastructure resilience. She continues to serve as the director of Vanderbilt's Climate Change initiative.
"I am excited that Leah Dundon will serve the city of Nashville on the planning commission as she will lend a unique perspective to the body," Mayor Freddie O'Connell said. "As a graduate of Metro Schools and with a PHD from Vanderbilt University, Dundon knows the community well. Further, her legal background and engineering expertise mean she's extremely qualified to review technical matters, and we want to take a long view of planning activities as we build trust in our planning processes."
Dundon moved to Nashville in 1976 with her parents, and after graduating from Hillsboro High School, she received her Bachelor of Arts from American University before getting both her JD and PHD from Vanderbilt University. She is also an environmental attorney with the law firm Beveridge & Diamond PC.
Dundon noted, "I am honored and privileged to serve the mayor and Nashville in this capacity, and I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners during an unprecedented time in the growth of this great city."
Metro's charter allows the Mayor or the Mayor's designee to serve on the planning commission for a length of time equal to the mayor's holding office.