Dean names Sonny West successor

Mayor Karl Dean on Monday named veteran attorney Bill Herbert to succeed the late Sonny West as Metropolitan Zoning Administrator in the Department of Codes and Building Safety.

It's the second time Herbert, an attorney at Johnson & Herbert in Nashville and county attorney in Cheatham County, will work for the city. He was a senior attorney in the Metro Department of Law from 2003 to 2007, representing the Codes Department and the Metropolitan Board of Zoning appeals. In private practice, he has specialized in zoning and land use law as well as municipal and county law. Herbert will start his new job May 9, about 14 months after West's passing [2].

“I am proud to have Bill serve this important role in our Metro government and continue the legacy of dedicated government service that Sonny began for this position,” Dean said. “I have known Bill since we worked together when I was Metro law director [...] I am confident in his ability to direct and manage the administration and enforcement of our zoning and land use regulations.”

Herbert is a graduate of Montgomery Bell Academy and Auburn University and he earned his law degree from the Samford Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the citizens and businesses of Nashville, and I look forward to the challenges of this role,” Herbert said. “I am dedicated to doing all that I can to ensure Nashville’s continued growth.”