East Bank Development Authority

Chapter 68 of the State of Tennessee Private Acts of 2024
BL2024-428
Term - varies
9 Members

Function

The East Bank Development Authority (EBDA) is authorized under Chapter 68 of the State of Tennessee Private Acts of 2024, as adopted by BL2024-428, and is charged with promoting economic development along the East Bank of the Cumberland River.

East Bank Development Authority Bylaws

Contact

EBDA@nashville.gov

Meet the Team

Ben York

Ben York is a 2005 graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Ben obtained his professional licensure in 2013 with the State of Tennessee. He began his career in private practice working at a civil site engineering firm and a geotechnical and material testing firm. In 2011 he began his career with Metro Nashville in the Public Works Department, then the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multi-Modal Infrastructure (NDOT). He has worked in and managed the Development Section at MPW/NDOT during his time with the agency. Ben has been assigned to the East Bank Program Management (EBPM) Team since 2021. With his background of proven success and imminent familiarity with the work on the East Bank, Ben was named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly formed East Bank Development Authority (EBDA). The EBDA team has been tasked with the visioning, planning, coordination, and program management of the 550 acre East Bank redevelopment area. Ben is a native Nashvillian and is married to his wife of 23 years, Patricia. They have two teenage daughters Tori and Addison.

Anna Grider

Anna Grider was named Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the newly established East Bank Development Authority in March, 2025, after eight years as an Urban Planner with the Metro Nashville Planning Department. Anna has been a key part of several critical planning projects for Nashville, most recently having led the creation of the Imagine East Bank Vision Plan. Adopted in 2022, this was one of the largest and most complex planning studies Nashville has undertaken. Anna has continued to work on the implementation of the Plan, as one of two Project Manager’s for Metro’s East Bank Program Management Team. She has stepped into the COO role to help lead the oversight of the redevelopment of the East Bank and the continued implementation of Imagine East Bank.

Anna holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Geography from the University of Sheffield, England, and a master’s degree in Urban Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to moving to Nashville in 2016, Anna worked for the Planning Departments of the City of Broken Arrow and the City of Oklahoma City, and for the Institute for Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma. Anna is a native of Nottingham, England.

Michelle Scopel

Michelle Scopel was named Director of Program Management for the newly established East Bank Development Authority (EBDA) in August 2025. She has 20 years of experience working in and around Metro Nashville in both the public and private sectors, with a focus on Program/Project Management and Environmental Services. Michelle has been an integral part of some of the city’s high-profile developments, including First Horizon Park, the Fairgrounds Campus Improvements Projects, and the rebuilding efforts of Historic Second Avenue following the Christmas Day 2020 bombing.

Michelle is a Nashville native, holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology from University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Vanderbilt University. She is known to lean into complex projects, create a strong team environment, and provide innovative solutions for the betterment of all who work/live/play in Nashville.

Jonathan Craycraft

Jonathan Craycraft was named Finance Deputy Director of the East Bank Development Authority in September 2025. Jonathan comes to EBDA with more than 10 years of public and private sector finance experience. Prior to joining EBDA, Jonathan led finance operations at the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency and worked on multiple development projects in MDHA’s Envision Cayce Master Plan. Over the course his career Jonathan has worked on multifamily development projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas.

Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Tennessee State University, and he is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He’s a US Marine Corps veteran, a native Nashvillian and is married to his wife Dr. Shereen Haj-Hassan.