Nathan Reed
Local Government Finance Official
Technology Futurist
Raconteur, Poet, and Explorer
Howdy, I'm Nathan!
Success isn't the stuff you have; success is a life well lived, cherished relationships, and the difference you've made.
Nathan was born in the late 70s and spent most of his early years in Dyer, Tennessee, where he had his first job, his first kiss, and his first car.
Nathan worked for the Tri-City Reporter through High School — he graduated in 1997.
In Memphis…
Nathan moved to Memphis to attend Rhodes College in the fall of 1997. While living and learning in Memphis, Nathan was exposed to the wonders of a multi-cultural city.
Looking for work over his four years in Memphis, Nathan managed to hoo-doo folks at the Center for Southern Folklore, The Orpheum Theatre, Time Warner Communications, and Dillards and convinced them all to hire him (at least once).
His experiences working for the Orpheum and for the Center for Southern Folklore were truly life changing.
Back in Dyer …
Given the opportunity, Nathan took the chance to move back to his home town when he was offered a job working in technology and communications. Never one to sit idle, Nathan is involved in various community organizations and charities.
Answering a call to public service, Nathan was elected to the Dyer Board of Aldermen in 2004, re-elected in 2008, and 2012. In May of 2013, he was appointed City Recorder for the City of Dyer, Tennessee. He’s a past and current director of the Greater Gibson County Area Chamber of Commerce, and was a founding member of the Gibson County Tourism Committee. In August of 2018, Nathan was elected to represent District 19 on the Gibson County Commission. He chose not to run for re-election in 2022.
Nathan was appointed to the Northwest Tennessee Tourism Council in 2019 and knows that Tourism is an essential tool of economic development, especially in the Northwest Tennessee region.
Keeping busy …
A full life is a fun life and Nathan’s been burning the candle at both ends for as long as he can remember.
Church …
He attends Grace United Methodist Church regularly, and was pleased to be selected as Lay Leader in 2018. He may be also be found visiting any number of Methodist churches throughout the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference. Nathan sings in the choir and tries to make himself useful. He’s also been involved in youth ministry in the Brownsville District of the UMC serving on the Conference Youth Council (as Brownsville District Youth Coordinator). He’s a past member of the Brownsville District Council on Ministries and the Committee on Superintendency, and current member of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference Commission on Equitable Compensation.
Friends …
Life is nothing without good friends and Nathan has some of the best. Weekends find him all over West Tennessee (and sometimes much farther afield) dining, dancing, and making merry.
With some close friends in 2006, Nathan took ball-room dancing. He’s been looking for a steady dance partner since then, but anyone will do in a pinch… and Nathan’s a great teacher.
Thinking young is being young, and Nathan mentors a hodge-podge group of young adults who definitely keep him young! He’s either dragging them to a hike, or they’re dragging him to a pop-culture event he may not understand — but it’s all fun!
Family …
In a time when the meaning of Family seems to be eroding day-by-day, Nathan’s rock-solid family continues to be a cornerstone of his life. Mom (a teacher for more than 35 years) and Dad (industrialist, real-estate mogul, public servant, and raconteur) are his best friends. His 30 something year-old brother has never been a rival, has sometimes been a project, and has always been a joy.
Just some blog posts
On country music
On Friday night, I drove to Franklin to meet up with Jed to see Colter Wall in concert at the FirstBank Amphitheater. I guess it’s considered normal for a “southern boy” to be in to country music? But Colter Wall doesn’t really fit the mould. He sounds like a 70 something year old three pack a day singer, but he’s not yet 30.
I stood behind you
A poem I wrote after trying and failing to start a relationship in college
A prayer for good humor (by Thomas More)
Here’s an *actual* prayer written by Sir Thomas More – for good humor!