Video
Recorded: 13 Jun 2025
Opera Conference 2025: Opening Remarks by Mayor Paul Young
Mayor Paul Young offers a welcome to Memphis and opening remarks at Opera Conference 2025.
Paul Young, mayor, City of Memphis
Paul Young was sworn in as mayor of Memphis on January 1, 2024, with a commitment to creating a stronger, safer, and thriving community for all Memphians. He is a Memphian, father of two, husband to Dr. Jamila Smith-Young, and son of Pastor Dianne Young and the late Bishop William Young.
Young earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Science in urban and regional planning, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis. Young has spent the last decade improving the quality of life in Memphis by advancing housing security and fostering healthy neighborhoods where families can thrive. As the former President of the Downtown Memphis Commission and Director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Memphis, Young applied a holistic approach to unifying the city through public and private partnerships and targeted investments in our future.
Young believes moving the city forward requires strategic investments in public safety, infrastructure, and the potential of our greatest asset – our people.