{"county":"davidson","description":null,"district":"davidson","districtgroup":"county","id":435,"key":"county_register","lastchangeby":null,"name":"Karen Johnson","next_election":null,"notes":null,"officegroup":null,"partisan":0,"party":null,"qualities":"- Records management of deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and other instruments affecting title to land in a high-volume metropolitan county.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee recording statutes, the recording-tax schedule, and the increasingly-electronic submission workflow used by title companies, lenders, and attorneys.\n- Accuracy and indexing discipline \u2014 an error in the register's records can cloud title for years.\n- Public-access service: the records are open, and the office serves both professional users (title, legal, financial) and individual property owners.\n- Budget and technology literacy for maintaining a searchable, modern record system.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":1,"description":null,"electiondate":"2022-08-04","name":"Karen Johnson","person":{"biography":"Karen Johnson is a Democratic politician serving as the Davidson County Register of Deeds in Tennessee [1]. She assumed office in 2018 and her current term ends on September 1, 2026 [1]. Johnson is running for re-election in the Democratic primary for this position on May 5, 2026 [1]. She previously served as a member of the Nashville Metro Council representing District 29 from 2011 to 2018 [1]. During her time on the council, she was unanimously elected Council President Pro Tempore and helped lead major projects including Cane Ridge High School and Smith Springs Elementary [8]. She also served as a School Board Member [8].\n\nJohnson earned a bachelor's degree in business from Tennessee State University and an MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University [1]. Her professional background includes work in human resources with Mercy Health Services, the State of Tennessee, Hospital Corporation of America, and Shoney's Inc [1]. In 2019, she was designated as a certified public administrator by the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service CTAS [1]. She later became a Certified Public Manager through the same institute in 2022 [1]. Additionally, Johnson is a 2025 graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executives in State and Local Government program [8].\n\nAs Register of Deeds, Johnson has implemented several innovations, including one of Tennessee\u2019s first Register of Deeds mobile apps and a Property Alert system designed to protect homeowners from fraud [8]. Her office is preparing to launch Real ID and passport services for residents in early 2026 [8]. Under her leadership, the office was named a Best Place to Work by the Nashville Business Journal in 2021, 2024, and 2025 [8]. Johnson made history as the first woman and first African American elected to the Register of Deeds office [8].\n\nJohnson has received numerous awards, including recognition as a Nashville Business Journal Woman of Influence, The Tennessean 40 Under 40, and TSU Woman of Legend and Merit in Government [8]. She is a Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary Club of Nashville and serves on the boards of Sister Cities of Nashville and Historic Fort Negley [8]. She lives in Nashville with her husband, David, and their three sons [8].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Karen Johnson (Tennessee) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Tennessee))\n- [2] [Karen Johnson (Washington) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Washington))\n- [3] [Karen Johnson - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson)\n- [4] [Karen Johnson (Crystal Lake Park District Commissioner Board At-large, Illinois, candidate 2025) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Crystal_Lake_Park_District_Commissioner_Board_At-large,_Illinois,_candidate_2025))\n- [5] [Karen Johnson (Lockport Township Trustee Board At-large (Will County), Illinois, candidate 2025) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Lockport_Township_Trustee_Board_At-large_(Will_County),_Illinois,_candidate_2025))\n- [6] [Karen Johnson (Town of Alex Board of Trustees, Oklahoma, candidate 2023) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Johnson_(Town_of_Alex_Board_of_Trustees,_Oklahoma,_candidate_2023))\n- [7] [Kevin Raye - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kevin_Raye)\n- [8] [Karen Johnson | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds/people/karen-johnson)\n- [9] [Davidson County Register of Deeds Karen Johnson Completes Rotary Leadership Institute Program, Recognized as Paul Harris Fellow | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds/news/davidson-county-register-deeds-karen-johnson-completes-rotary-leadership-institute-program-recognized-paul-harris-fellow)\n- [10] [Davidson County Register of Deeds | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds)\n- [11] [Register of Deeds Karen Johnson Selected to Attend Prestigious Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program | Nashville.gov](https://www.nashville.gov/departments/register-deeds/news/register-deeds-karen-johnson-selected-attend-prestigious-harvard-kennedy-school-executive-program)\n- [12] [KAREN JOHNSON FOR CONGRESS - committee overview - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00553024/)","firstname":"Karen","lastname":"Johnson","token":"A1uDFAl0dA"},"term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01"}],"title":"Davidson County Register of Deeds","type":"executive","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-04-26 14:41:10"}