He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1978 and a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University in 1981 . His campaign message for Mayor of Nashville focused on improving education , public safety and economic development saying " it 's all connected . " During Dean 's first year in office , he reworked the arrangement between Metro and the Nashville Predators in order to keep the team in Nashville . During Dean 's first term , he faced two major challenges : the Great Recession and the 2010 Tennessee floods . During his two terms in office , Dean transformed Downtown Nashville by adding a new minor league baseball stadium , a riverfront amphitheater and park and a new convention center dubbed Music City Center . Dean was friendly towards business and often used tax incentives to lure companies to Nashville . He is also involved in conservationist efforts of historical areas such as Music Row through his involvement with Music Industry Coalition . He helped preserve historic sites such as RCA Studio A
2010 Tennessee floods
2010 Tennessee floods
Karl Dean