GATLINBURG — Gov. Bill Lee attended his last Governor's Conference on Hospitality & Tourism this week at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.
Lee is ending his eight years as governor when his second term ends in January. He was joined on stage Thursday by Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Mark Ezell as they reflected on the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in the state over the last several years.
Lee also reflected on his time in office, the opportunity to meet presidents, CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the world, and foreign leaders, and his interactions over the years with Dolly Parton as they worked to make the state of Tennessee the best in the nation.
"I worked with the prison re-entry program for 25 years before I became the governor, and when we signed two pieces of legislation called the Alternatives to Incarceration Act and the success that we had — and I signed those with a formerly incarcerated man that I had walked through and mentored coming out of the room — that was when I sat there and said, 'This is why I ran for governor,'" Lee said.
"I used to work in the inner city with at-risk youth, and that's where the passion that formed in my heart for education reform came from, because I was dealing with kids that were in the very worst performing schools in the state and were having really bad outcomes in life, not only in school. I decided 20 years ago that if I ever found myself in a position to be able to do something that I thought would substantively change the choices that those kids in that community had, that I was going to do, or I would do everything I could, to make sure we got there."
Lee's controversial Education Freedom Scholarships allows students who are residents of Tennessee to use state funds toward education expenses at non-public schools located in Tennessee, prioritizing tuition and fees.
"I had 100% confidence in my heart that I was doing what I had committed to do 20 years ago if I ever found myself in that position; that I would not forget those children," Lee said.
Lee highlighted some of his other accomplishments while in office, including the establishment of more state parks in the eight years he was governor, which was more than was ever done in another administration. Protecting the natural beauty of the state was a priority, Lee said, because of the time he spent in his younger years exploring the outdoor recreation opportunities Tennessee has to offer.
"When I was a kid, somebody had done what was necessary to make it possible for me to experience that, and I want my children's children and their children to be able to have the same opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this state," he said. "That doesn't happen unless people lean into intentionally private preserving that, and developing that, and protecting that."
First Lady Maria Lee was with her husband in Gatlinburg on Thursday as they celebrated his time in office. Others in attendance were largely from the hospitality and tourism industry and were encouraged by Lee to continue making Tennessee a place where visitors want to spend their time and their money. Because Tennessee is a sales tax state with no state income tax, much of the local and state governments' budgets are funded through the money brought in from other states.
"I just encourage people all the time to make sure you are focused on the things that matter the most," Lee said.
Lee said people should care about their families, care about their businesses and care about their industry in a society where people have become more dismissive and toxic towards others. Access to a never-ending stream of information can infiltrate people's everyday lives, but Lee said to not let it stop people from serving their neighbors, enhancing their businesses and improving their communities. He spoke about never knowing where life is going to take you, good or bad, including the loss of his first wife, Carol Ann Lee, who passed away in 2000.
"That experience, for one, caused me to, in a very poignant way, be reminded that there are very few things in life that really matter, and we should be about those things," Lee said.
Following a short video tribute to Lee, Ezell spoke about the industry, including 40% growth in visitor spending and $2 billion in state revenue that comes from visitors, contributing $738 million more annually to the state budget.
Those funds are from what Ezell calls "Best Money," which is money coming in from outside of Tennessee, which lowers the tax burden for the residents of the state.