Romney Campaign Press Release - Mitt Romney Announces Tennessee Finance Leadership Team

Mitt Romney announced today that well-known Tennessee leaders and national Republican fundraisers Ted Welch and Jim Haslam will lead fundraising efforts as state chairs for his presidential campaign in the state.

Romney said Haslam and Welch will be joined by a group of other top Republican fundraisers who will serve as State Co-Chairs for Romney's presidential campaign in Tennessee.

That leadership team includes: Brad Martin, former chairman and CEO of Saks, Inc., from Memphis; Orrin Ingram, President and CEO of Ingram Industries, Inc., from Nashville; Joe Davenport, president of Porter Management Company, from Chattanooga; and Jimmy Haslam, president and CEO of Pilot/Flying J, from Knoxville.

"No one has done more to provide resources necessary to build a strong Republican party in Tennessee, and to help elect so many of our nation's top leaders than Jim Haslam and Ted Welch," said Mitt Romney. "And when you have behind you those who helped elect Bill Haslam, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker, Howard Baker and Bill Frist, as well as President Reagan, and both Presidents Bush, you can't do any better than that. So I am deeply honored and thankful to have their full and active support."

State Vice Co-Chairs heading up the regional efforts include:

Randy Boyd, founder, chairman and CEO of Radio Systems Corp., from Knoxville; Jerry Sink, senior vice president of CBL & Associates, from Chattanooga; Bob Rolfe, managing partner of West End Holdings, LLC, from Nashville; and Todd Watson, with Armstrong Relocation in Memphis.

The Romney campaign said even more finance leaders will be announced as fundraising events are scheduled and the campaign progresses across the state.

Background on Jim Haslam and Ted Welch:

• Knoxville business and philanthropic leader James A. "Jim" Haslam II is the Founder and Chairman of Pilot Corporation. The father of current Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Jim Haslam has chaired successful Tennessee fundraising campaigns for Howard Baker, Lamar Alexander, Bill Frist and many others. In 2000 and 2004, he was a "Super Ranger" which consisted of finance leaders nationally for the presidential campaign of George W. Bush.

• Nashville business leader and real estate developer Ted Welch has a long and successful career in raising money for Republican campaigns and conservative causes. He is a former National Finance Chairman of both the Republican National Committee, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He has also chaired fundraising efforts for former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Howard Baker; current U.S. Senator, former Governor and presidential candidate Lamar Alexander; and he served as the national and regional finance chairman for the Bush/Quayle presidential campaigns in 1988 and 1992.