Jonathan Saad

Current office and 2026 campaign

Jonathan Saad serves as the executive director of The Forge Nashville, an arts nonprofit organization ¹. In this role, he manages grant programs and community support initiatives to further the organization's mission of fostering creativity and innovation ¹. Prior to joining The Forge, Saad worked as a grants manager for Metro Arts ¹.

Saad is running in the 19th District primary election for the Tennessee Executive Committee in 2026. His campaign follows a legal dispute with his former employer, Metro Arts, where he alleged racial discrimination, hiring bias, and workplace retaliation after being passed over for three full-time positions ². The city of Nashville agreed to a $150,000 settlement without contesting Saad's claims in the lawsuit filed against former Metro Arts director Daniel Singh ².

Career

Prior to his appointment as executive director of the arts nonprofit The Forge Nashville in June 2024, Saad served as a grants manager for Metro Arts ¹. His professional background includes roles in visual arts, state and local government, management, and technical advisory positions for community nonprofits and artists ¹.

Saad previously filed a legal complaint against his former boss at Metro Arts, Daniel Singh, alleging racial discrimination, hiring bias, and workplace retaliation after being passed over for three full-time positions ². City attorneys described Saad as a victim of these issues in court documents, noting that the city did not contest his version of events despite a lack of direct evidence ². The city agreed to a $150,000 payout to Saad less than two months after he filed suit ².

Office history

Jonathan Saad previously served as a grants manager for Metro Arts ¹. In that role, he managed grants and provided community support for the agency's mission ¹. He was passed over by then-director Daniel Singh for three full-time positions within Metro Arts ². Following his departure, Saad filed a legal complaint alleging racial discrimination, hiring bias, and workplace retaliation against Singh and the city ². The city did not contest Saad’s version of events and agreed to a $150,000 settlement less than two months after the suit was filed ².

In June 2024, Saad was appointed as the executive director of the arts nonprofit The Forge Nashville ¹. In this capacity, he oversees the organization's mission to support creativity and innovation within the artistic community ¹. His background includes roles in state and local government, management, and technical advisory positions for community nonprofits and artists ¹.

Documented disputes and controversies

Jonathan Saad filed a lawsuit against his former supervisor, Metro Arts director Daniel Singh, alleging that he was passed over for three full-time positions due to racial discrimination, hiring bias, and workplace retaliation ². Although court documents noted there was no direct evidence supporting these specific claims, the city of Nashville did not contest Saad’s version of events and agreed to a settlement ². Less than two months after filing the suit, Saad secured a $150,000 payout from city lawyers ².

Prior to his legal action against Singh, Saad served as the grants manager for Metro Arts before transitioning to the private sector ¹. He later joined The Forge Nashville as executive director in June 2024, bringing experience in grant management and community support to the arts nonprofit ¹.

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