No More DEI Hires At Nashville Airport As Diversity Department Gets Restructured

Image Credit: Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA)

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Hiring quotas for minority or women-owned businesses within Nashville International Airport are officially over according to an announcement from Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) as the airport’s business diversity department gets a makeover.

Earlier this year, MNAA did away with its diversity targets for hiring small, women-owned and minority businesses without fanfare in order to comply with federal directives and remain eligible for federal funding.

Formerly known as the Department of Business Diversity Development for twenty years, the department has been “restructured” into the Department of Small Business Development.

After the signing of the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” order by President Donald Trump on January 21st, federal agencies, as well as contractors to public and private businesses, have taken steps to scrub diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language from their websites and rename departments that once dealt solely with increasing diversity within their organizations. 

The Federal Aviation Administration is one such agency, overseeing the regulation of airports like Nashville’s BNA. Last year, BNA was the recipient of nearly $30 million in FAA grants.

The Executive Order (14173) reads, “Illegal DEI policies threaten the safety of American men, women, and children across the Nation by diminishing the importance of individual merit, aptitude, hard work, and determination when selecting people for jobs and services in key sectors of American society, including all levels of government, and the medical, aviation, and law-enforcement communities.”

BNA spokesperson Stacey Nickens has acknowledged that MNAA is aligning with all federal nondiscrimination requirements, including avoiding any appearance of preferential treatment based on race or gender, in order to continue to receive funding for both their current and future capital projects.

That being said, on the airport’s Title VI page, BNA’s “Community Involvement” is still highlighted with the airport saying that it “proudly maintains” active membership in several civic and business organizations including the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce, Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Nashville LGBT Chamber, the Airport Minority Advisory Council, and the Urban League of Tennessee.

The Small Business Development page also still hosts MNAA’s Disparity Study from 2020 that looks at the airport’s efforts in reaching its prior diversity goals.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.