Megan Barry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Megan Barry
Barry in 2024
7th Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville
In office September 25, 2015 – March 6, 2018
Preceded by	Karl Dean
Succeeded by	David Briley
Personal details
Born	Megan Christine Mueller (1963-09-22) September 22, 1963 (age 61) Santa Ana, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Bruce Barry
Children	1
Education	Baker University (BA) Vanderbilt University (MBA)

Megan Christine Barry was born on September 22, 1963. She is an American businesswoman and politician. She served as the seventh mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 2015 until March 6, 2018. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early Life and Education

Megan Barry was born in Santa Ana, California. She grew up in Overland Park, Kansas. She went to the Notre Dame de Sion School in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1986, she earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She got this degree from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. Later, in 1993, she earned an MBA degree. This was from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

Business Career

Before becoming a politician, Megan Barry worked in the business world. She focused on business ethics and corporate responsibility. She worked for a large company called Nortel Networks.

From 2003 to 2012, she was a vice president at Premier, Inc.. This company works with healthcare groups. She also had her own consulting business. Her company, Barry & Associates, advised large international companies. They helped these companies with business ethics and social responsibility.

Political Career

Serving on the Metropolitan Council

Megan Barry was first elected to the Metro Council in September 2007. The Metro Council has 40 members, and she won one of the five at-large seats. This means she represented the whole city. She was re-elected for a second four-year term in August 2011. She received the most votes among the five members who sought re-election.

During her time on the council, Barry led important committees. She chaired the Budget and Finance Committee. She also led the Education Committee. In 2009, she helped pass a bill. This bill aimed to ensure fair treatment for all city employees. In 2013 and 2014, she chaired the Rules Committee. She also continued to serve on the Budget and Finance Committee.

Running for Mayor in 2015

Barry began her campaign for mayor in April 2013. She was one of many candidates. She received the most votes in the first election. However, she did not win more than half of all votes. This led to a second election, called a runoff. She ran against David Fox, who finished second.

Many people thought another candidate would win. But The Nashvillian newspaper predicted a runoff between Barry and Fox. They also predicted Barry would take an early lead. The runoff election was very competitive.

Megan Barry raised a lot of money for her campaign. She received US$1.1 million in donations. Many business leaders and companies donated to her campaign. She won the runoff election on September 10.

Mayor of Nashville

Barry touring the Old Hickory Dam Power Plant with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in January 2016.

Megan Barry became mayor on September 25, 2015. She was the first woman to be mayor of Nashville. Her inauguration ceremony was held at the Music City Center. The theme for her inauguration was "We Make Nashville."

As mayor, Barry focused on making Nashville's government more diverse. She created a Chief Diversity Officer role. This person would help ensure fair hiring and promotion policies. She also started the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods and Community Engagement. This office helps connect with different communities, including new immigrants and refugees.

In 2017, she worked with the state government. They passed the IMPROVE Act. This law aimed to increase money for road projects in Tennessee. It also gave voters a chance to fund public transportation. Barry wanted to put a plan for a new public transit system on the ballot in 2018. However, that plan did not pass when people voted on it.

Barry also worked to improve affordable housing in Nashville. She promised to put $10 million each year into the Barnes Trust Fund. This fund helps create affordable housing. She also started a program in 2017. It encouraged building mixed-income homes. She also planned to use $25 million to save existing affordable housing. She also wanted to build new housing projects.

One of her achievements was the Opportunity NOW program. This program aimed to help young people. It created 10,000 paid job and internship chances. These opportunities were for teenagers and young adults in Nashville. They were in private, public, and non-profit organizations.

In May 2017, Barry announced that an Ikea store would open in Nashville. It was planned for 2020, but the project was later canceled.

In October 2017, Barry shared her plans for Nashville's transportation. She proposed a $5.2 billion plan. It included adding light rail service. The final plan, called "Let's Move Nashville", included 26 miles of light rail. It also had 25 miles of bus rapid transit. This plan was later rejected by voters in May 2018.

In December 2017, Barry dedicated a historical marker. It was the first in Tennessee to honor an activist for fairness and equality.

Resignation from Office

On March 6, 2018, Megan Barry resigned as mayor. Her successor was David Briley. He had been the vice mayor before her resignation.

2024 Congressional Campaign

In December 2023, Megan Barry announced her plans. She would run for a seat in the U.S. Congress. She is running in Tennessee's 7th congressional district. She will be running against the current representative, Mark Green.

Personal Life

Megan Barry is married to Bruce Barry. He is a professor at Vanderbilt University. They have one son, Max.

Electoral History

Barry also ran in the August 2007 Nashville Council at-large election. She won her first term to the Council as an at-large councilwoman that year.

See also

In Spanish: Megan Barry para niños