KNOXVILLE (AP) — Former Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has been recommended to join a nonpartisan think tank at the Smithsonian Institution, the White House announced.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars advises Congress and the executive branch on global issues, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported. The center was chartered in 1968 to conduct independent research and bring experts and scholars together to shape policy decisions.

Haslam served as governor from 2011 to 2019. He also was Knoxville's mayor from 2003 to 2011. Before that he was president of Pilot Co. and a top executive with Saks Fifth Avenue.

Last month, Haslam and his wife Crissy launched a statewide program designed to help elementary school students who are at risk of falling behind in studies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program's goal is to recruit at least 1,000 college students to serve as tutors during the summer months.