Jeff Syracuse moved to Nashville to finish his music degree at Middle Tennessee State University and soon also began working for Broadcast Music. Inc. (BMI), where he has been for over 25 years.  Jeff has had numerous roles over his long career at BMI and currently leads the Radio and Television Licensing team.  He also represented BMI on the board of The Blues Foundation for 11 years where he served as Chair for two and helped fundraise to complete the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis that opened in 2015, located directly across from the National Civil Rights Museum on South Main Street. 

Jeff became deeply involved in his neighborhood and the Nashville community, creating, and serving on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations and as President of the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce.  Jeff was elected to Metro Council in 2015 and served for 8 years.  He led the transformation of an aging commercial center of his district to a thriving walkable community centered around a commuter rail station and a new $20 million library that serves as its civic anchor.

Jeff successfully brought his music industry experience together with public policy work and has long advocated for the working creatives of Nashville here locally and beyond.  Jeff has focused on the needs often overlooked in supporting working creatives, including creating a $5 parking program for downtown musicians, secured funding to study and support Nashville’s local independent music venues, and has served for years as an Advisory Board Member of Music Makes Us, the private-public partnership supporting music education in Nashville.  Jeff has also travelled to Chengdu, China twice to advocate for intellectual property rights.  From the global digital transformation in the industry to rapid growth and development in Nashville and impact of the global pandemic, Jeff has a keen understanding of the challenges of working creatives and continues to be a strong advocate for them.  One of his last efforts on Metro Council was to help create the Nashville Music, Film, & Entertainment Commission, where he now serves to further the work of ensuring Nashville’s long-term success as Music City.