AMPLIFY NASHVILLE HONOREES

Gregg Ramos, a second-generation American, is an influential attorney who champions immigrant communities in Nashville and was instrumental in defeating the English Only referendum in 2009 through his efforts with Nashville for All of Us.

After moving to Nashville in 1984, Gregg established a successful law practice, eventually becoming the first Hispanic president of the Nashville Bar Association. Gregg also volunteered with Catholic Charities, helping new Latino arrivals in the 1990s as Nashville was becoming a global, welcoming city. By 2004, Gregg had become the chair of the Catholic Charities Board of Directors.

In 2008, an English Only referendum was proposed in Nashville that would have required the city government to conduct all business exclusively in English. This would have created significant barriers for immigrant communities by impeding access to vital services, and it would have hindered Nashville’s growth as a city overall.

As a Latino, Gregg had experienced discrimination when he first moved to Nashville. He also remembered how difficult it was for his grandparents and parents to learn the English language. So, Gregg decided to spend his relational capital in the business community to fight against the English Only referendum.

Gregg, along with many others, including Tom Negri (Loews Vanderbilt Hotel), Renata Soto (Conexion Americas), the late Avi Poster (Jewish Community Leader), and Ralph Schulz (Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce), formed a remarkably broad coalition, Nashville for All of Us, which included business leaders, public servants, faith leaders, and labor unions. They defeated the referendum, and Nashville was able to solidify its identity as a city that welcomes and celebrates immigrants from all over the world.

Gregg Ramos is a community leader whose service helped defeat the English Only referendum and ensure Nashville’s identity as a welcoming city, making him the Bridge Builder honoree at Amplify Nashville 2026.