Haslam Becomes Just Sixth Leader Recognized by Roundtable for Education Contributions to Tennessee
Gov. Bill Haslam (left) on Feb. 1 received the Gordon Fee Leadership in Education Award from 2018 Tennessee Business Roundtable Chair Anthony Kimbrough (right), CEO of Farm Bureau Health Plans.
On Thursday, February 1, 2018, the Tennessee Business Roundtable (“TBR”; “the Roundtable”) presented its Gordon Fee Leadership in Education Award to Governor Bill Haslam at its 2018 Annual Meeting, in recognition of Haslam’s enduring contributions toward excellence in public education throughout his tenure as Tennessee’s Governor.
“This is only the sixth time our leadership has voted to bestow this award since its creation in 2008,” said 2018 TBR Chair Anthony Kimbrough (CEO, Farm Bureau Health Plans, Columbia, Tenn.). “It’s one thing to be a voice for education, as most political and community leaders claim to be. It’s quite another to pair the voice with real and lasting action. Governor Haslam has done exactly that, and the list of accomplishments during his tenure as governor will help re-write the history of education in our state.”
Above: TBR Chair Anthony Kimbrough presents Governor Haslam with the Gordon Fee Leadership in Education Award.
Right: Governor Haslam addresses TBR’s 2018 Annual Meeting after receiving TBR’s Gordon Fee Leadership in Education Award.
During his tenure as Governor, Haslam has prioritized education reforms year upon year. After launching the Drive to 55 initiative, aimed at increasing the number of Tennesseans with postsecondary credentials, Haslam spearheaded the Tennessee Promise and Reconnect initiatives, which have respectively expanded the financial resources available to Tennessee’s traditional students and adult learners in pursuit of postsecondary credentials.
“Under Governor Haslam’s leadership, Tennessee’s public education systems have implemented a range of innovative programs that are now getting more of our students better-prepared for today’s workforce,” said Gordon Fee, the longtime education advocate and TBR leader from Oak Ridge, Tenn. for whom the Award is named. “These programs are clearly making a difference. I can think of no one more deserving of this Leadership in Education Award than Bill Haslam.”
"It’s one thing to be a voice for education, as most political and community leaders claim to be. It’s quite another to pair the voice with real and lasting action. Governor Haslam has done exactly that."
Anthony Kimbrough
TBR Chair
Other successful Haslam administration education initiatives include the SAILS program to reduce the need for remedial math classes, Read to be Ready to boost 3rd grade literacy, and revised Tennessee Academic Standards which raise expectations for students across the state.
“Governor Haslam applied incredible insight in first recognizing that sustaining the success of our state’s economy and communities requires a much greater rate of post-secondary attainment among Tennesseans, then developing a well-designed plan to meet that need—the Drive to 55 initiative,” said Margaret O. Dolan (President & CEO, LocalShares, LLC, Nashville, Tenn.), TBR’s immediate past Chair. “The strategic integration of the Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, AdviseTN, and other components give more Tennesseans real opportunities to attain postsecondary credentials, no matter their age, life stage, or financial situation. Governor Haslam has made this work to boost economic prosperity for all a priority throughout his service to our state.”
ABOUT THE GORDON FEE LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION AWARD
The Roundtable’s Leadership in Education Award is named for Gordon G. Fee of Oak Ridge, Tenn., a longtime member of the Roundtable and champion for public education. Fee is a past President of Lockheed Martin Energy Systems and plant manager of the Y-12 facility in Oak Ridge. The award serves as an ongoing tribute to Fee as the Roundtable’s longest-serving Education Committee Chair from 1992 through 2015. In this capacity, Gordon tirelessly championed the Roundtable’s education initiatives by serving in many leadership roles, including being the first volunteer executive in the State Department of Education.
Prior recipients of the Gordon Fee Leadership in Education Award include:
Gordon G. Fee, retired President, Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, 2008
Michael Edwards, President/CEO, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, 2009
Governor Phil Bredesen, 2010
Richard Montgomery, former TN St. Rep. and TN House Education Chairman, 2012
Randy Boyd, CEO, Radio Systems Corporation, 2014
Gordon G. Fee