Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced Thursday the hiring of Sarah Childress as the head of the newly established office of entertainment.
Childress will serve as executive director of the office after being the top pick of the Nashville Entertainment Commission. She comes to the role from WNPT, where she served as director of strategy and operations.
Childress also previously worked as the education and engagement manager for the Nashville Film Festival, helping increase community participation by 300 percent over three years by developing partnerships with Metro Nashville Public Schools, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the Frist Art Museum. She has previous experience working in the music industry and as a film producer and scholar.
Childress, who holds a Ph.D. in English with concentration in media and cinema arts from Vanderbilt University, will begin the role on Aug. 31.
“Today marks a new beginning for our Office of Entertainment, the Entertainment Commission, and for how Nashville supports our creative community,” O’Connell says in a release.
The commission — hatched as a city hub for film and music promotion — has been dogged by political fights and procedural issues
“It took a lot of work from many people to get us here and we’re looking forward to having the Office of Entertainment on solid footing, with a new executive director supported by the mayor’s office team.”
“The Entertainment Commission put forward two excellent finalists,” adds the mayor. “Dr. Childress is the right leader to build the relationships and trust needed to amplify the great work already happening in entertainment in our city.”
O’Connell on Thursday signed new legislation passed by the Metro Council officially establishing the new office, following previous uncertainty surrounding the Nashville Entertainment Commission earlier this year. O’Connell’s initial budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 would have scrapped the commission.
Following public outcry, the mayor’s office reversed course and proposed a restructure with the office of entertainment. The Nashville Entertainment Commission received $300,000 in this year’s budget, passed by the Metro Council.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
