Haslam Announces Memphis Schools Planning Commission Appointment

Memphis native is President and CIO of Southeastern Asset Management in the Bluff City

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced Memphis native Staley Cates will serve on the Memphis schools planning commission, which will oversee the consolidation of the county and city public school systems.

“I appreciate Staley’s willingness to serve in this important role,” Haslam said.  “He is an active Memphian through youth-related and other community-focused efforts and will be a productive member of this group.  The planning commission has a lot of work to do for the future of Memphis students, but it also must focus on the students in school today.  I look forward to the commission beginning its work.”

Cates, 46, co-founded the New Hope Christian Academy of which he is the chairman. He also chairs the Urban Youth Initiative and Memphis Athletic Ministries. He is board president of the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation.

He serves on the boards of the Soulsville Foundation and the Poplar Foundation. The Poplar Foundation has been involved in various private and charter school efforts in Memphis and supported Memphis placement regions of Teach for America and New Leaders for New Schools.

“I’m honored to serve the governor and people of Memphis in this capacity, and I look forward to working with the rest of the commission on this critical step for Memphis and Shelby County,” Cates said.  “Nothing is more important than working to make the state’s largest school system a resounding success for the community’s children.”