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A resolution honoring Wallace W. "Wally" Dietz for his distinguished service as Director of Law for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
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WHEREAS, Wally Dietz has served as Director of the Metropolitan Department of Law since June 2021, having been appointed by then-Mayor John Cooper and asked to continue in the role by Mayor Freddie O'Connell; and
WHEREAS, prior to his public service, Director Dietz spent nearly four decades at the Nashville law firm Bass, Berry & Sims, where he chaired the firm's compliance and government investigations practice group; and
WHEREAS, early in his career, he served as a legislative and media aide to then-U.S. Senator Jim Sasser and as a judicial clerk for U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Wiseman, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, in 2002, he received the Nashville Bar Association's Liberty Bell Award for his pro bono work in international human rights; and
WHEREAS, as Director of Law, he became a leading voice in defense of Nashville's and Davidson County's right to self-govern, guiding the city through multiple lawsuits to retain home rule and equal protection in actions against the State of Tennessee, including efforts to block a state takeover of appointments to the Metropolitan Sports Authority and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority and to preserve the size and authority of this Metropolitan Council; and
WHEREAS, he likewise led Metro's legal response to federal actions affecting the city's funding and policies, earning recognition as a steady and indispensable counselor across Metro government; and
WHEREAS, his commitment to public service reflects a personal connection to this government, as his father covered the drafting of the Metropolitan charter and the formation of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson Charter in the early 1960s as a reporter for The Tennessean; and
WHEREAS, even after suffering a stroke in March 2025, Director Dietz continued to lead the Department of Law with resolve t...
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