Jon Kinsey was mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...

 from 1997 to 2001. During his mayorship he is remembered primarily for his role in unsuccessfully trying to buy Tennessee-American Water Company, which provides the majority of water to Chattanooga. He is a Democrat.

Kinsey came to Chattanooga at the age of 8. He graduated from the Baylor School

Baylor School

Baylor School is a private, coeducational prep school on the outskirts of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school was founded in 1893 and since 1915 has been located on the same hillside site by the Tennessee River. The school went through several incarnations: moving from an all-male military academy...

 in 1972, and attended Boston University

Boston University

Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

. Working at the building/development business, he co-founded Leonard Kinsey Company in 1984, and was the Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau's chairman.

In November 2010, Kinsey was appointed to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.