NASHVILLE, Tenn. - ColoradoDesk -- The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the nation's leading organization focused on promoting entrepreneurship through community colleges, has awarded former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam its 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award. Haslam launched the College Promise program in 2014, offering tuition-free community and technical college education to every high school senior in the state. In his role as governor and creator of the College Promise program, he demonstrated an entrepreneurial leadership style that embraced empowerment and inclusion.

Since that time, College Promise has evolved into a national movement led by Martha Kanter, former Under Secretary of Education in the Obama Administration. Kanter, Ed.D., who currently serves as CEO of College Promise, a national, non-partisan, nonprofit initiative to increase college access, affordability, and completion, offered accolades to Haslam during a virtual award ceremony at NACCE's annual conference in Nashville.

Also on hand to honor Haslam was Anthony Wise, Ph.D., president of Pellissippi State Community College who praised the former governor for his commitment to first-generation college students. He was joined by Zead Gad, a student pursuing a dental degree through the College Promise program, and Rebecca Corbin, Ed.D., president and CEO of NACCE. "Governor Haslam is the ideal recipient of NACCE's 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award," said Corbin. "This year has challenged educators, students, and community members to reimagine how education can be delivered in safe and engaging ways for a more equitable and prosperous future. NACCE's Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes inventive leadership and dedication to local communities."

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About NACCE
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and campuses. NACCE has two main goals: to empower college leaders to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset and to grow the community college's role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem. NACCE has over 340 member colleges, representing nearly 2,000 members and approximately 3.3 million students. For more information, visit www.nacce.com. Follow us on Twitter at @NACCE, like us on Facebook, and join our LinkedIn group.