S3.2 Jon Michael: From Public Servant in the Foxhole of Short-Term Rental Regulations to Private Sector Entrepreneur, He’s Always Pro-Nashville

Climbing the Charts with Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller

On this new episode of Climbing the Charts, we sat down with Jon Michael, who after 15 years of toting the metro zoning code under his arm in various roles as a lawyer with Metro, joined the local Nashville law firm of Thompson Burton PLLC to create his own land use practice.

If you have ever listened to a conversation about development, attended a Metro Planning Commission meeting, or have even just heard someone at the office water fountain spouting acronyms like AR2a, RS80, R20, R6, OR20, or MUL, you may have guessed that you are in the presence of Nashville’s zoning code. After the acronyms are rattled off, someone then usually utters a name: Jon Michael.

Legal entrepreneurs are a different class of entrepreneurs, as most view attorneys as risk-averse, or at least extremely calculating, by nature. But, Jon Michael is cut from a bit of a different cloth. The son of a preacher who grew up in Dickson, TN, Jon shares his entrepreneurial story with us – and it is a great story filled with trials and tribulations. The best careers are often non-linear, and Jon’s is no exception. In addition to being a gifted raconteur, Jon is a true student of about everything and brings an insatiable curiosity to life.

Every city in America has struggled with how to regulate the “sharing economy,” which in Music City includes a thriving short-term rental market (think Airbnb and VRBO). As the Metro Zoning Administrator from 2018 to 2021, Jon was at the center of the efforts to balance commerce/tourism and community and neighborhood quality of life concerns. Most observers think Nashville has struck a good balance, especially compared to some cities (think: NYC). Jon shares his thoughts on this topic, but also offers his vision for how Nashville can continue to grow smartly. With rumors of a massive overall to the Metro Code in the not too distant future, it’s almost a given as well that Jon will play a significant role in that process for only a handful of attorneys have such deep knowledge and expertise in the area.

We promise you will learn some very interesting things in this inviting conversation, as well as learn more about Jon’s path from public servant to private entrepreneur, political connector, dad, husband, and humorist. Jon's new role is something he views as neither pro-development nor pro-neighborhood, but “pro-Nashville.”