A 2023 Metro Nashville document reveals that the city ended its relationship with FINN Partners, the public relations firm that contracts with Nashville Electric Service (NES) and provided pro bono services in response to Winter Storm Fern, after the company submitted a quote for over $2 million. Metro Nashville instead selected vendors who bid about half of FINN Partners’ proposed amount.
The bid by FINN Partners was detailed in an Intent to Award notice released by Metro Nashville in December 2023, which included information on proposals from other companies and the city’s evaluation of their terms.
According to the document, FINN Partners bid just over $2.5 million to provide public relations services to the city in 2023, while McNeely Brockman Public Relations and McNeely Pigott and Fox Public Relations, the two firms selected by the city, sought only about $1.3 million combined.
In the evaluation portion of the document, Metro Nashville identified multiple strengths for FINN Partners, including the firm’s experience, qualifications, and capacity to complete the work.
The weakness identified by the city appears to indicate that the public relations firm failed to include how much it charged another customer for a similar project, as the report states that FINN Partners “failed to provide dollar value on one project of similar scope.”
Other documents indicate that Nashville entered into a contract with DVL Seigenthaler, which FINN Partners later acquired, on February 10, 2017. The city transferred the contract to the new company in June 2021.
This indicates FINN Partners was simultaneously working for Metro Nashville and NES when it helped both the city and municipally owned utility company promote the green agenda championed by former Mayor Megan Barry’s goal of transforming Nashville into “the greenest city in the Southeast.”
“FINN worked with NES on a number of initiatives to develop a solar park, increase energy efficiency and reduce per capita consumption,” according to the company’s website. “The efforts coincide with the Mayor of Nashville’s initiative make Nashville the greenest city in the Southeast.”
The public relations firm stated, “As part of this initiative, NES was encouraged to build a solar park on land that was once a landfill and to encourage customers to reduce their usage of electricity.”
NES told The Tennessee Star on Monday that FINN Partners provided pro bono communications services to the power company after Winter Storm Fern, but did not deny entering into a contract with the company valued at up to $10 million.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell stated earlier this month, after meeting with the company, “NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis,” and has authorized a commission to study the company’s response.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Monday called for the company’s top executive to resign over the company’s response to the storm, and Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) called for the Tennessee General Assembly to change NES’ governance. State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) last week confirmed lawmakers were considering their options.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Freddie O’Connell.
why does the only provider have to have a pr firm