Former vice mayor lands new job

Ex-councilman, lobbyist to serve as executive director of county officials association

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

Jay West

Former vice mayor of Nashville Jay West has been appointed executive director of the County Officials Association of Tennessee. He succeeds Marie Murphy, who has joined the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance as assistant commissioner for special projects.

In announcing the appointment, COAT President Shirley Graham, who is also Hawkins County Clerk and Master, said, "We appreciate Mr. West's knowledge of both state and local government as he assumes the role of our Executive Director." Graham was chair of the search committee to find Murphy's successor.

In addition to his service as vice mayor, West has also served as a Councilman at Large on the Metro Council. A registered lobbyist on Capitol Hill for more than 25 years, representing the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers, the Home Builders Association of Tennessee and the Associated General Contractors of Tennessee, among others.

West is a graduate of Belmont University and the Nashville School of Law. He was a member of the 1997 class of Leadership Nashville and the 2007 class of Leadership Middle Tennessee. He is married to Diane West, who serves as executive vice president of BancorpSouth in Brentwood.