Haslam on Hagerty's departure, finding a replacement and VW's union developments
Bloomberg, Jeff Kowalsky
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam
- Scott Harrison[1]
- Staff Reporter- Nashville Business Journal
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.[2] | Twitter[3]
Gov. Bill Haslam[4] said Friday his economic development chief Bill Hagerty[5] stayed in the cabinet longer than the governor originally expected, telling reporters it will be hard to find a replacement.
"When I first asked Bill if he would come, I asked him [to] promise me two years. And quite frankly, to serve four was great," Haslam told reporters after his keynote address at the annual Governor's Conference on Economic and Community Development. "[Hagerty] wants to get back to private business. For him, it was just a personal decision. [He has] a lot of young kids at home and wants to be back in the business world."
Haslam didn't indicate a replacement for Hagerty, who announced his decision Wednesday to step down as commissioner[6] of the state's Department of Economic and Community Development. The governor said he's looking for a new commissioner for when Hagerty leaves in January.
"The key thing is you start with somebody who can organize a coherent strategy for business recruitment for Tennessee," Haslam said of finding a replacement. "Number two, somebody who can go out and deliver on that. Bill's really good about those; he's very strategic and he's tactical. Most people are one or the other."
On whether it will be difficult to find a replacement, Haslam said, "I think so."
Hagerty's decision to step down came on the heels of Bridgestone Americas' announcement Tuesday to move its headquarters to downtown Nashville[7], bringing more than 600 new jobs as the tire maker consolidates multiple out-of-state business operations.
Then on Thursday, Education Department Commissioner Kevin Huffman[8] also said he will leave Haslam's administration[9]. Haslam said Friday he wanted Huffman to stay on, adding it wasn't "appropriate to talk about successors at this point."
Scott Harrison covers government and economic development, banking and law.
References
- ^ Scott Harrison (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Bill Haslam (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ Bill Hagerty (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ to step down as commissioner (www.bizjournals.com)
- ^ to move its headquarters to downtown Nashville (www.bizjournals.com)
- ^ Kevin Huffman (feeds.bizjournals.com)
- ^ he will leave Haslam's administration (www.bizjournals.com)