Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam was sworn in as governor of Tennessee on January 15, 2011, and was re-elected in 2014.

Under Haslam’s results-driven, common sense leadership, Tennessee is recognized as a national leader in education, job creation and fiscal responsibility.

Born and raised in Knoxville, he was blessed with parents who instilled their strong faith and work ethic in their children. As a young man, he excelled in academics and sports and was a leader in student government. When he was 16 years old, the sudden, unexpected death of his mother marked a turning point in his young life. His family leaned on each other and on their faith to get through the tough days.

After graduating from Emory University, Haslam returned to Knoxville, where he managed his family’s chain of gas stations. When he first went to work for the company, Pilot Corporation had 800 employees, and when he left, it had more than 14,000 employees in 39 states.

Haslam was elected mayor of Knoxville in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. As mayor, he balanced eight consecutive city budgets, tripled the Rainy Day Fund, insisted that city government focus on providing services in an efficient manner, helped found key education initiatives and recruited and retained thousands of jobs to Knoxville.

He and his wife Crissy have three children and four grandchildren. For more than three decades, they have been members of Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Knoxville, where Haslam serves as an elder.