The City of Murfreesboro announced today that it has hired Craig Tindall of Phoenix to serve as the new City Attorney. He will begin his new role October 26. The selection follows a lengthy nationwide recruitment process that began in June.

"Craig Tindall has served as a city attorney for Glendale, Arizona, a city with a growing population and similar challenges to those we face in Murfreesboro," said Mayor Shane McFarland. "We are impressed with his legal expertise and high ethical standards as a municipal attorney, including extensive work on critical issues such as transportation and intergovernmental affairs."

The Murfreesboro City Council voted Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, to hire Tindall of Phoenix as the next City Attorney, replacing City Attorney Susan Emery McGannon who announced plans for retirement in April, effective Nov. 1, 2015.

Tindall recently served as General Counsel for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League in Phoenix, legal services he has provided since Aug. 2013. Tindall served as city attorney and deputy city attorney for the City of Glendale, Arizona, a city of 240,000 people, from 2001 to 2013.

The City Council voted Sept. 17, 2015, to pursue Tindall, requesting that Human Resources proceed with a reference checks. Tindall was selected to be interviewed for the city attorney position after twenty-seven of thirty-nine applicants met the minimum qualifications, including McMinville attorney Tim Pirtle who was also interviewed by the Council. The two finalists were recommended by Mayor McFarland, Human Resources Director Glen Godwin and City Manager Rob Lyons. The interviews were advertised as open to the public and attended by members of the media. The finalists were also interviewed by both a community panel and a City staff panel.

Tindall's legal experience began in Phoenix, Arizona in June 1991 for the firm Beaugureau, Zukowski & Hancock, P.C. (currently Beaugureau, Hancock, Stoll & Schwatz, P.C.), where he handled transportation and liability claims. He became Senior Associate and worked until April 2000.

Tindall is familiar with Tennessee. He spent part of his childhood years living in Hendersonville and Memphis. He graduated from the Southern Methodist Dedman School of Law in Dallas in 1991. Tindall is married and his two sons in college.

Susan McGannon has served as City Attorney since 2001 and Assistant City Attorney since 1992.