Governor Tennessee Bill Haslam Biography Age Wikipedia Family Marriage Education Career
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Governor Tennessee Bill Haslam Biography Age Wikipedia Family Marriage Education Career

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Bill Haslam Biography Age Wikipedia Family Marriage Education Career

William Edward "Bill" Haslam (born August 23, 1958) is an American politician and businessman who is the 49th and current Governor of Tennessee. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam was elected Governor in 2010 and was sworn in on January 15, 2011.

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Haslam is a graduate of Emory University. He began his career in business, joining his father, Jim Haslam, who was the founder of Pilot Corporation. Haslam rose to president of Pilot Corp in the 1990s, after his brother Jimmy became the company's CEO. Haslam then left Pilot and from 1999 to 2001 was the CEO of the e-commerce and cataloging division at the department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue. He then became a consultant at Saks, served on the board of directors at Harold's Stores, Inc. and still remains a co-owner of the minor league baseball team the Tennessee Smokies.

Entering a career in politics, Haslam was elected mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee in 2003 with 52% of the vote. He was reelected in 2007, winning 87% of the vote, and served until 2011. After incumbent GovernorPhil Bredesen was term-limited Haslam declared his candidacy for Governor in January 2009. He defeated Representative Zach Wamp andLieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey in the Republican primary with 47% of the vote, and went on to defeat Democratic businessman Mike McWherterwith 65% of the vote in the general election. A 2015 Forbes article estimated Haslam's net worth at $2 billion, making him the nation's richest elected official at that time.


Bill Haslam Biography About Marriage Age Wikipedia

Born


William Edward Haslam
August 23, 1958 (age 58)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.

Political party


Republican

Spouse(s)


Crissy Garrett

Children

3

Residence

Governor's Mansion

Education

Emory University (BA)


Bill Haslam Biography about Career

Haslam was born in 1958 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the third child of Jim Haslam, the founder of Pilot Corporation, the parent company of the convenience store and travel center chain, Pilot Flying J, and his wife, Cynthia (Allen). Jim Haslam has been a Republican Party fundraiser and University of Tennessee donor and trustee for several decades.

Haslam was educated at the Webb School of Knoxville, where he became active in the Christian group Young Life. He later attended Emory University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in history in 1980.He is a member of the Beta Chi chapter of the Sigma Chi International Fraternity.

As a teenager, Haslam began working part-time in his father's corporation. He had made plans to teach history and eventually become a minister. Following his university graduation, he returned to Knoxville to work for Pilot in hopes of learning more about the business world before entering the seminary, and eventually decided to stay with the company.He was elevated to president of the company (with his brother, Jimmy, as CEO, and father as chairman) in 1995.

In 1999, Haslam joined Saks Fifth Avenue as the chief executive officer of the e-commerce and catalog division. He left Saks in 2001, and joined the board of the Dallas-based clothing chain, Harold's Stores Inc., later that year.

Haslam is one of the owners of the Tennessee Smokies, a minor league baseball team in East Tennessee. His brother, current Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam, became majority owner of the Cleveland Browns in 2012.


Bill Haslam Biography Age Wikipedia Family Marriage Education Career

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