Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board Elects New Board Officers

NASHVILLE ─ During the May 2018 board meeting, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) Board of Commissioners unanimously elected Dr. A. Dexter Samuels as its new chair, after previously serving as vice chair. Samuels succeeds Bobby Joslin, who has served as chair since 2016, and becomes the first African-American to chair the MNAA board.

Attorney Trey Harwell was elected vice chair, after previously serving as secretary, and Amanda Farnsworth was elected secretary. Board officer positions are two-year terms.

“It has been a privilege to work under Bobby’s leadership and direction, as his dedication and expertise as board chair has guided our organization through some monumental events including the launch of BNA Vision, our growth and expansion plan, and the return of transatlantic service with nonstop flights to London’s Heathrow Airport,” said Doug Kreulen, MNAA president and CEO. “Chair Samuels has been an influential force on our board for more than 10 years, and all of us look forward to this next chapter under his leadership.”

A. Dexter Samuels, Ph.D. – Chair
Dr. A. Dexter Samuels was appointed to the MNAA board in 2007 as a neighborhood representative by then-Mayor Bill Purcell and was elected vice chair in 2013. Samuels is the senior vice president for student affairs, the executive director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy and a tenured associate professor in the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Meharry Medical College. Samuels is a graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Western Kentucky University with a master’s degree in Health Care Administration and Tennessee State University with a doctorate in Public Administration.

Aubrey B. Harwell III – Vice Chair
Aubrey B. (Trey) Harwell III was appointed to the MNAA board in 2013 as the legal representative by then-Mayor Karl Dean and elected secretary in 2016. He joined Neal & Harwell in 1996. Harwell’s principal areas of practice are civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He is a member of his firm’s crisis management team and has also conducted numerous independent investigations on behalf of individual and corporate clients throughout the United States. Harwell is a graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Law and Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Amanda C. Farnsworth – Secretary
Amanda Farnsworth was appointed to the MNAA board in 2012 as the industry, commerce and finance representative by then-Mayor Karl Dean. Farnsworth was a partner with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons investment firm. Current and past board service includes Optimum Solutions, Inc., vice chair; Precision Energy Solutions; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in Washington, D.C.; Consumers Insurance, chair; Franklin American Mortgage Company; and National Safety Alliance. She is past chair of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee and past trustee of the Ensworth School. Farnsworth is a commercial rated pilot. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a master’s degree in Computer Science and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.

MNAA Board of Commissioners
A 10-member Board of Commissioners governs the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. Nine of the commissioners are appointed by the mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and approved by the Metropolitan Council. All commissioners serve as volunteers for four-year terms without compensation. The mayor is the 10th member. The board is composed of three business and finance representatives, two pilot representatives, two neighborhood representatives, one engineering representative, one legal representative, and the mayor.

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) was established in 1970, and owns and operates Nashville International Airport (BNA) and John C. Tune Airport (JWN). With more than 14.1 million passengers visiting each year, Nashville International Airport is the fourth fastest growing airport among the top 50 airports in North America. BNA serves 450 daily flights to more than 65 nonstop markets. It is the 33rd busiest airport in the U.S. MNAA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please visit flynashville.com. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/NashvilleInternationalAirport and follow us on Twitter: @Fly_Nashville and Instagram: @FlyNashville. Learn more about BNA Vision, our growth and expansion plan for the airport, at BNAVision.com.

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