City Manager appoints Jennifer Knauf as Floodplain Administrator

City Manager Craig Tindall has appointed Jennifer Knauf as Floodplain Administrator in her role as a Project Engineer in the Nashville Planning Department replacing the role Sam Huddleston held. Knauf is a registered professional engineer in the State of Tennessee and certified as a Floodplain Manager, a certification she has held since 2013.

“Jennifer’s experience and training have prepared her for the role overseeing the City’s floodplain management,” said Assistant City Manager Sam Huddleston. “I look forward to her successful fulfillment of the program working closely with City projects, local residents, developers, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the federal entity regulating floodplain management.”

The City’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program and administration of a local floodplain management program is necessary for local businesses, residents, and property owners to purchase flood insurance for flood related disaster assistance from FEMA, and for minimization of flood hazards in our community. Economic impact from flooding losses is one of the largest impacts to the U.S. economy resulting in several billion dollars of loss annually. Flood insurance available through the National Flood Insurance Program is one of the few insurance products available to insure against flood losses. Administration of a local program like Nashville is intended to protect new construction from identified flood risks while making flood insurance available locally.

In her new responsibility, Knauf will oversee floodplain management, including aspects of the City development process, engineering and urban environmental. Knauf’s experience as an engineer with Metro Nashville government includes reviewing construction plans for compliance with local, State, and Federal stormwater, water and sewer regulations.

Knauf will serve in the Planning Department under the leadership of Greg McKnight. McKnight was recently appointed as Executive Director of Development Services after serving as Planning Director since 2020.

Knauf is a 1997 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and served as an engineer for Metro Water Services in Nashville, where she had oversight for coordinating the Stormwater Management Committee and has also worked for General Physics Corporation in Tullahoma. Knauf was hired to work for the City of Nashville as a Project Engineer in October 2022.

In January, Sam Huddleston, an environmental engineer, was appointed to serve as Assistant City Manager for Engineering and Economic Development in the City Manager’s Office.

For additional information on the City’s floodplain program, visit the City’s website. To determine if a property is in the floodplain, interested persons may contact the Planning Department at 615/893-6441 or visit the City GIS website or www.fema.gov.