Legislation Details

File #: RS2026-2261   
Type: Resolution Status: Passed
File created: 9/1/2026 In control: Metropolitan Council
On agenda: Final action: 9/1/2026
Title: A resolution requesting the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) to make an exception to Policy 33-006 and rename Nashville International Airport as "Dolly Parton International Airport."
Sponsors: Russ Bradford, Quin Evans-Segall, Terry Vo, Jacob Kupin, Tom Cash, Jason Spain, Burkley Allen, Jeff Gregg, Brenda Gadd, Ginny Welsch, Jordan Huffman, John Rutherford, Jeff Eslick, Sheri Weiner, Bob Nash, Courtney Johnston, Emily Benedict, Tasha Ellis, Joy Styles, Thom Druffel, Joy Smith Kimbrough, Zulfat Suara, Clay Capp, Jennifer Webb, Antoinette Lee, Kyonzte Toombs, Erin Evans
title
A resolution requesting the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) to make an exception to Policy 33-006 and rename Nashville International Airport as "Dolly Parton International Airport."
body
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council has separately honored the life and legacy of Dolly Parton, who passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80; and
WHEREAS, Nashville International Airport serves as the primary gateway to Nashville and Middle Tennessee for millions of visitors each year, and the name of that gateway shapes the world's first impression of our city; and
WHEREAS, for more than six decades, Dolly Parton was the most recognized and beloved ambassador of Nashville and Tennessee to the world, carrying the identity of this city into every corner of the globe through her music, her voice, and her name; and
WHEREAS, Dolly Parton's body of songwriting and recording work, created and rooted in Nashville, drew generations of songwriters, musicians, and performers to relocate to and build their careers in this city, reinforcing Nashville's identity as "Music City" and sustaining the broader creative economy that supports countless local jobs; and
WHEREAS, Dolly Parton's global fame and her associated Middle Tennessee attractions, including Dollywood in East Tennessee, drove substantial tourism traffic into this region for decades, with a material share of those visitors arriving through and departing from Nashville International Airport; and
WHEREAS, Dolly Parton directed extraordinary philanthropic investment into Tennessee, including through the Dollywood Foundation and the Imagination Library, which has distributed free books to children worldwide and operates as a program of global reach headquartered in Middle Tennessee, further cementing this region's reputation as a place of generosity and cultural leadership; and
WHEREAS, MNAA Policy 33-006 ("Naming Policy and Process") provides that buildings, spaces, facilities...

Click here for full text