Junior Achievement of East Tennessee to Honor Bill and Crissy Haslam

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame proudly announces the 2019 Laureate honorees for the 30^th Anniversary Award Dinner to be held on April 4, 2018 at the Downtown Knoxville Convention Center: The Honorable Bill Haslam and Crissy Haslam. Laureate induction into the East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame is a lifetime achievement award for individuals and was established to recognize icons of commerce and industry and who have made a significant and positive impact on the East Tennessee Region. Established in 1989 by the Junior Achievement Board of Directors, this event honors the champions of free enterprise and benefits the work of Junior Achievement. The criteria for laureate selection includes a demonstration of business excellence, courageous thinking and acting, inspired leadership, and community involvement. Nearly 100 remarkable laureates have been inducted into the East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame since its founding in 1989.

The laureates will be honored at a celebratory dinner & awards ceremony gala, on Thursday, April 4^th at the Downtown Knoxville Convention Center. At this year's gala, hundreds of business and civic leaders will come together to honor this year's laureates and raise funds to support Junior Achievement of East Tennessee. To reserve a table and for event and sponsorship details, please visit www.etbhof.org

Not only we are we celebrating the 30^th Anniversary of this event but we are celebrating two individuals who have been recognized for their business & community efforts not only regionally, but statewide & nationally. 

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. His success has spanned across many sectors including working for his family's chain of gas stations, then in local government as the Mayor of Knoxville and eventually as governor of Tennessee.

Crissy Haslam has lived in the state of Tennessee since she was a young child and came to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1981.  Her early work in the UT Admissions office and as an advisor was just the start of her passion for education. Eventually in her role as First Lady of Tennessee, she introduced an initiative that focused on literacy improvement. She travels the state to stress the importance of parents as first teachers, parents as education partners and also to raise awareness for the exponential value of reading at grade level by the third grade.

"This couple has had tremendous impact on the way we do business and how we think about education in the state of Tennessee. These honorees have helped set a positive tone from the top and have helped give all Tennesseans a pathway to learning and careers," said Callie Archer, President, Junior Achievement of East Tennessee. "Their passion for excellence and steadfast commitment to this state is an inspiration to all of us and a lesson in leadership for Tennessee's future leaders."

About Junior Achievement of East Tennessee
Since 1969, Junior Achievement of East Tennessee has inspired the next generation to be financially capable, equipped with the tools to solve problems creatively, manage risk effectively, and welcome opportunity. Through our experiential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship K-12 programs and capstone experiences taught by volunteer role models from the community, we inspire the next generation to answer the demands of the 21st century economy with "I can." During the 2018 -2019 school year, JA of East Tennessee will deliver its programs to nearly 23,000 K-12 students throughout the region. In the last decade, Junior Achievement of East Tennessee has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 young people across our 17-county service region.

Media contact:
Callie Archer
President
(865) 457-2461
[email protected]

SOURCE Junior Achievement of East Tennessee