Full Biography for James Bruce Stanley

Candidate for
Council; District 14

James Bruce Stanley was born March 1, 1963 and has lived his entire life in the Donelson community. Born to Jim and Rosemary Stanley, he has brothers John and Tom and sister Robin. He graduated from McGavock High School in 1981, where he had been on both the football and track teams. In 1986 he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in History and a primary minor in Political Science/Pre-Law. Upon his graduation from college, Stanley became involved in community issues with the opening of the new airport in September of 1987. Having obtained his Paralegal Certificate and as a member of the Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Association, he worked closely with attorney Edward Nave and Councilman Larry McWhirter in addressing municipal issues in Donelson-Hermitage. In September of 1988, Stanley entered law school and successfully completed three (3) years of study before his responsibilities as a representative in the Neighborhood Association motivated his inability to complete his fourth and final year. In 1995, he enrolled in the Teacher Licensure Program at Middle Tennessee State University and is currently just two (2) courses shy of completing the program and obtaining his teacher certification.

When discovering in 1995 that McWhirter was not seeking re-election, Stanley qualified to run for the District 14 seat. Because of his interaction with the community on numerous issues, Stanley was able to address the concerns of the citizens of District 14 thoroughly and decisively. This resulted in his election to the Council in September of 1995. Stanley's first term on the Council has witnessed the completion of a number of projects benefitial to the community. Among the more notable of these projects has been the establishment of traffic signals at the Plantation Drive/Old Hickory Boulevard, Elm Hill Pike/Timber Valley Dive, and Stewarts Ferry Pike/McCrory Creek Road intersections; Metropolitan Nashville's reinvestment in the old Donelson High School site through the construction of a new unified Hickman Elementary School and the renovation of the old Donelson High School facilitiy to a new Donelson Middle School with both facilities scheduled to open in August of 2000; the investment of approximately $400,000 for infrastructure improvement (i.e. stormwater drainage, paving) in District 14. In addition, Stanley's experience in land use issues has guaranteed the community's involvement in zoning matters. Community input is vital in regulating the growth of the community.

Stanley has been a member of Andrew Price Memorial United Methodist Church since his birth. Additional community groups with whom he is associated include the Donelson-Hermitage Chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities (APTA) which has been responsible for the preservation and restoration of both the Clover Bottom mansion and the Buchanan Log House, and the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce. Since 1992, Stanley has also been co-authoring an historical text on the Donelson-Hermitage community with Major Scott Aiken,U.S.M.C. This text will cover approximately 35 years since Donelson-Hermitage was integrated into Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County.