Bill Haslam is an American politician and businessman who served as the 49th governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously held the position of mayor of Knoxville and worked in the family business, Pilot Flying J, which is a large truck stop chain. During his tenure as governor, Haslam focused on education reform, economic development, and healthcare improvements. He implemented the Tennessee Promise program, which provides free community college tuition to high school graduates, aiming to increase access to higher education and workforce development in the state.