A successful entrepreneur, Boyd, 55, will succeed current Economic and Community Development Bill Hagerty, who announced last month he was leaving the administration to return to the private sector.
Boyd in 2013 was named as Haslam's full-time, unpaid special advisor on higher education in 2013, where he focused on the governor's "Drive to 55" initiative to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with college degrees from 32 percent to 55 percent by 2025.
That work brought about Haslam's "Tennessee Promise," essentially guaranteeing free college for students attending two-year community colleges and technical schools by providing them "last dollar" scholarships and mentors. The initiative has drawn national acclaim.
“Randy understands the importance of making sure that the business community and educators are working hand in hand to meet our workforce needs,” Haslam said in a news release. “More than ever, offering an educated and highly trained workforce is part of attracting new business to our state and encouraging existing businesses to expand here."
Haslam said Boyd's experience and success in the private sector along with his engagement in the education community "make him a perfect fit to continue our focus on being the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”
Boyd is the founder and chairman of Knoxville-based Radio Systems Corporation, which he started in 1991. The 630-employee firm produces over 4,600 pet products, including Invisible Fence, and maintains offices in seven countries.
“I am very excited about this opportunity to serve our state," Boyd said in a statement. "While working with the governor last year, we often talked about education being not K to 12 but K to J, with the ‘J’ being jobs. Now, I can work to ensure that those high quality jobs we are educating people for are there for them."
He described himself as "first and foremost a salesman, and every salesman likes to have a great product to promote. I cannot imagine a better one than the state of Tennessee and can’t wait to promote it to other businesses around the world.”