"This morning, I walked up the stairs to the State Capitol for the last time as governor, and I can honestly say I felt the same sense of excitement as I did on January 15, 2011.
Every time I climbed those stairs over the past eight years, I’ve looked forward to the work - doing what we could to help improve the lives of Tennesseans.
My hope is that we’ve made an impact."
After eight years in office, Gov. Bill Haslam is spending his final day in office. The former Knoxville mayor and businessman is reflecting on his time as the state's top executive and what he accomplished in a farewell letter to the citizens of the state.
He's proud of his biggest achievements--- offering free college to all Tennesseans, seeing the state's K-12 students named the fastest improving kids in the country, and creating more than 450,000 new jobs.
Even when there were problems, he said, he was proud of his state.
"We’ve faced challenges too, and I always came away newly reminded of and inspired by your resolve and how you come together, Tennesseans helping Tennesseans, to get through the toughest of times."
Haslam said he was so grateful for the opportunity, and called it the greatest job he could ever imagine.
Governor-elect Bill Lee will be inaugurated as the state's 50th governor on Saturday.
Full text of Gov. Haslam's letter:
January 18, 2019
Dear Fellow Tennesseans,
This morning, I walked up the stairs to the State Capitol for the last time as governor, and I can honestly say I felt the same sense of excitement as I did on January 15, 2011.
Every time I climbed those stairs over the past eight years, I’ve looked forward to the work - doing what we could to help improve the lives of Tennesseans.
My hope is that we’ve made an impact.
By changing the culture of expectations around dinner tables, making college free to all Tennesseans and providing opportunities that will change the trajectory of their lives.
By strengthening the K-12 education we offer our children, watching Tennessee students become the fastest improving students in the country because of their hard work and the hard work of their teachers.
By fostering the best possible environment for job creation so businesses can thrive and grow, creating more than 450,000 jobs and maintaining a record low unemployment rate.
By coming out of years and years of federal oversight of the services we provide to children, families and the developmentally disabled.
By changing the way we hire and reward state employees. By being good stewards of taxpayers’ money, tripling the state’s rainy day fund, proposing and signing balanced budgets, including two that had no new debt, and earning the highest rating possible by all three bond agencies.
By putting money back into the pocketbooks of Tennesseans and the private sector, cutting $800 million in taxes.
We’ve faced challenges too, and I always came away newly reminded of and inspired by your resolve and how you come together, Tennesseans helping Tennesseans, to get through the toughest of times.
I leave the State Capitol today with a heart overflowing with gratitude, incredibly thankful for this opportunity that, for some reason, was bestowed upon me.
Lamar Alexander told me shortly after I was first elected, “Being governor of your state is a great job, unless your home state is Tennessee, and then it’s the best job in the whole world.” And he is absolutely right.
Crissy and I are grateful for you calling on us to serve, for giving us the greatest jobs we could ever imagine.
Bill