David Warren Tandy (born December 18, 1972) is a retired American Democratic Party politician, attorney, and business development professional from Kentucky. He served as a member of the Louisville Metro Council representing District 4 from 2005 to 2017 and served two non-consecutive terms as President of the Louisville Metro Council (2009–2010 and 2015–2016).
Early Life and Education
Tandy was born on December 18, 1972, in Owensboro, Kentucky. He attended Owensboro High School, where he played as a defensive tackle for the school's football team and was selected for the Kentucky–Tennessee All-star game in 1991. He attended Vanderbilt University on an athletic scholarship, where he served as president of the Black Student Alliance, was a founding member of the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir, and served on the Honors Council. He graduated from Vanderbilt's Peabody College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1998.
Political Career
In 2000, Tandy served as treasurer of the Kentucky Democratic Party, becoming the youngest person and second African American to serve as a state party official. During the 2000 presidential election, he was the Tennessee state co-chair of GoreNet, a grassroots organizing group supporting Al Gore's campaign.
Tandy was appointed by the Louisville Metro Council on April 14, 2005, to fill the vacancy left by the death of Councilman Willie Bright. He was subsequently re-elected in November 2006. In January 2009, he was unanimously elected as the seventh president of the Louisville Metro Council. He ran for mayor of Louisville in the 2010 Democratic primary, finishing in second place.
Following the death of Council President Jim King in January 2015, Tandy was selected to fill the unexpired term, becoming the second Metro Council member to serve as president for more than one term. He served as chairman of the Metro Council's Labor and Economic Development Committee for seven terms. Tandy announced in January 2016 that he would not seek re-election, and his term ended on January 1, 2017.
Professional Career
Tandy has practiced law with several firms, including Stoll-Keenon-Ogden, Sheffer-Hutchinson-Kinney, Woodward, Hobson & Fulton in Kentucky; Ortale, Kelley, Herbert & Crawford in Nashville, Tennessee; and the Washington, D.C. office of former U.S. Senator Wendell H. Ford. He also served as Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society, Mid-South Division.
In 2016, he joined Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP (later Dentons Bingham Greenebaum) as an attorney and lobbyist, becoming a partner in 2021. His practice areas include corporate law, economic development, public policy, and community engagement.
Community Involvement
Tandy has served on numerous boards, including the Kentucky Science Center (Immediate Past Chairman), the Boy Scouts of America's Lincoln Heritage Council (Chairman of the Legal Committee), the James Graham Brown Regional Cancer Center Corporation, REBOUND, Inc., and the Henry Clay Center. He is a fellow of the Rodel Leadership Institute (formerly the Aspen Institute–Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership). He has been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.
Recognition
Tandy has been inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame, named a Louisville Business First "40 Under 40" honoree, and recognized in "Who's Who In Louisville: African American Profiles." He has also been listed among Insider Louisville's "Top 100 Influencers in Louisville."
Personal Life
Tandy resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Carolyn, and their three children.
