Crissy Haslam (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Garrett, born November 1958) is an American philanthropist and children's and education advocate. She was the

First lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019 and her husband, Bill Haslam, served as

Governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

for the same amount of time.

Early life and education

Haslam was born Crissy Garrett in November 1958 in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, to Chris and Ed Garrett. Later on in her youth, Haslam's family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she attended Saint Mary's Episcopal School. In 1980, she graduated from Emory University with majors in finance and marketing. She moved to Knoxville, where she worked as the assistant director of admissions at the University of Tennessee. In 1985, she received her master's degree in education.

First Lady of Tennessee (2011-2019)

When Haslam's husband, Bill, was sworn in as Governor of Tennessee in 2011, she became first lady. Haslam's activities as first lady focused on encouraging parents to become more engaged in children's education and reading proficiency. On June 1, 2012, Haslam launched the Read20 Family Book Club, which had the goal to boost childhood literacy. The program encouraged parents to read with their children for at least 20 minutes a day. Haslam has been an avid supporter of

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library The Dollywood Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Dolly Parton, with headquarters in Sevierville, Tennessee (as of 2022). Shortly after the opening of the Dollywood theme park in 1986, the Dollywood Foundation was created in April 1 ...

, and expanding the efforts of the organization. In addition to the Read20 Book Club, Haslam has launched Read20 Book Patrol, which is a reading program that encourages partnerships between children, families, and communities, with local law enforcement. The program is designed to also serve as a book provider program for low-income communities in Tennessee

Personal life

Crissy Haslam married Bill Haslam in 1981 in Knoxville. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Haslam has served and volunteered for community organizations, such as the Love Kitchen, a provider of meals for Knoxville’s poor and home-bound population.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haslam, Crissy 1958 births Living people American women philanthropists American women activists Activists from Tennessee Youth rights people Literacy advocates Philanthropists from Tennessee 21st-century American philanthropists