Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority welcomes new Board of Commissioners

NASHVILLE, TENN. – The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), owner and operator of Nashville International Airport (BNA) and John C. Tune Airport (JWN), introduce its recently appointed Board of Commissioners in accordance with Public Chapter No. 488, effective July 1. The following individuals have assumed their roles on the board: Jimmy Granbery (Chair), Bobby Joslin (Vice Chair), Masami Tyson (Secretary), Tony Giarratana, Senator Jack Johnson and Commissioner Stuart McWhorter.

“The MNAA Board of Commissioners are an integral part of both BNA and JWN’s success,” said Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of BNA. “I am grateful to each of these community leaders as they dedicate their time and expertise to the development and continued growth of our airports. I am confident in their leadership as they develop the broad policies that govern the operation of the Authority to ensure we meet the travel demands of Middle Tennessee today and in the future.”

James W. (Jimmy) Granbery – Chair
Jimmy Granbery has served on the board since 2018 and currently serves as the Chair. He also serves as Chair of the Management, Audit and Compliance (“Management”) Committee and a member of the Finance, Diversity & Workforce (“Finance”) Committee. Furthermore, Granbery holds the position of Chair of H.G. Hill Company and Chair/CEO of H.G. Hill Realty Company, LLC, both of which have remained family-owned and operated in Nashville for an impressive six generations. Granbery has a rich history of civic and community involvement, notably serving as a member of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency board, and as the chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Nashville District. His impressive commitment to community engagement extends to prominent leadership roles on the boards of the Nashville Zoo, Martin Methodist College (now the University of Tennessee Southern), and the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from the University of Mississippi.  Granbery is married to  Jamie and together they have two children, Marion Floyd and Treanor Granbery and three grandchildren, Franklin Floyd, Helen Floyd, and Clayton Granbery.

 Robert J. (Bobby) Joslin – Vice Chair
Bobby Joslin has served on the board since 2009 and currently serves as Vice Chair. He also serves as Chair for the Operations, Engineering & Strategic Planning (“Operations”) Committee and a member of the Management Committee. As the proud owner and founder of Joslin and Son Signs, Joslin’s career path has humble beginnings dating back to 1977. What began as a simple one-truck repair service evolved into one of the largest custom sign shops in Middle Tennessee. Today, Joslin is actively engaged in the community, banding together with other local businesses to help improve and innovate Nashville. He serves on the State Leadership Council of the National Federation of Independent Business. Joslin is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Nashville State Technical Community College Business Management Committee, Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce, and Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Joslin attended Middle Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University’s George Peabody College.   Joslin is married to Vicki and has 4 children: Kimberly, Jennifer, Bobby Joslin, III, and Kayla.

Masami I. Tyson – Secretary
Masami Tyson serves as the Secretary on the Board. Additionally, she holds the position of Vice Chair for the Management Committee and is a member of the Operations Committee. A native of Yokohama, Japan, Tyson is a Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, where she leads the law firm’s Japan Practice and provides clients with a wide range of corporate and transactional legal support in either Japanese or English, depending on the clients’ needs. Global companies rely on Tyson as a trusted legal and business advisor. Formerly the Global Director of Foreign Direct Investment and Trade for the State of Tennessee, she has also previously served in senior and director level in-house counsel roles such as at Nissan North America. An active member of the community, Tyson is board chair of Japan-America Society of Tennessee, board member of the U.S.-Japan Council, as well as board member of Hands On Nashville. Tyson received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Vanderbilt University Law School and both her Master of Arts (M.A.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Johns Hopkins University.   Tyson resides in Nashville, TN with her husband Rich, and they have 3 children.

 Anthony D. (Tony) Giarratana
Tony Giarratana serves as Vice Chair for the Operations Committee while also serving as a member of the Finance Committee. Professionally, Giarratana serves as the President of Giarratana, LLC, where his unwavering dedication, passion, and enthusiasm for Downtown Nashville spans over four decades. During this time, he has achieved several notable milestones for Music City, including pioneering the construction of its first high-rise apartments, condominiums, and modern urban grocery store since 1967. Giarratana, alongside his partners, has also been instrumental in historical preservation efforts and the development of thousands of residential units. His enduring commitment to civic and community roles is exemplified through his participation in various organizations. These include the Nashville Zoo, Nashville Symphony, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Lipscomb University board, Lipscomb University College of Business, the Tamara & Edward George Legacy Fund, the Nashville Downtown Partnership, the Nashville City Club, YMCA Community Action Programs (YCAP), Men of Valor, and the Boy Scouts of America Middle Tennessee Council. He graduated with a Finance degree in Business Administration from the University of South Florida in Tampa. Giarratana is happily married to Lisa and is a proud father to Sam and Kate.

Jack C. Johnson
Senator Jack Johnson serves as Vice Chair for the Finance Committee and as a member of the Management Committee. Johnson represents the 27th District of the State of Tennessee, which includes most of Williamson County. Johnson was first elected to the Tennessee State Senate in 2006. After two years, he was appointed as chairman of the Government Operations Committee. A year later, he was named chairman of the Commerce and Labor Committee. He served as Commerce Committee chairman for nine years until December 2018. During this time, he was elected by his colleagues as the Senate Majority Leader. Johnson actively participates in a range of community and professional organizations: Williamson Inc. Member; Williamson County Republican Party Chairman’s Circle; Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners; Brightstone Board of Directors; National Rifle Association Member; and an Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Member. He graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. Johnson is married to Deanna, and together they have three children: Mackenzie, Trevor, and Walker.

Stuart C. McWhorter
Stuart McWhorter serves as Chair for the Finance Committee and is a member of the Operations Committee. Stuart C. McWhorter has served as the commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) since July 2022. He has a diverse background in entrepreneurship, corporate finance and strategic planning. He served as co-founder and chairman of Clayton Associates with over 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship and early-stage investing. McWhorter stepped away from Clayton Associates in 2019 to join Governor Lee’s administration as commissioner of the Department of Finance and Administration. He led the drafting of two fiscal year state budgets, co-chaired the Governor’s Healthcare Modernization Task Force and was appointed director of the Tennessee Unified Command Group to coordinate the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, McWhorter previously served as the CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and chairman of the Board of Directors of Nashville-based FirstBank Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK). Beyond his professional roles, McWhorter has been deeply involved in many Middle Tennessee institutions and organizations including Belmont University, The Nashville Entrepreneur Center, YMCA of Middle Tennessee, Blood Water Mission and The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. He received his Master of Health Administration (M.H.A) from The University of Alabama-Birmingham and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A) from Clemson University. McWhorter resides in Nashville with his wife, Leigh Anne, and their five children.

The Board of Commissioners is comprised of representatives with good standing and reputations in engineering, law, industry and commerce, and/or finance.

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