Lawrence is A.F. Bridges Principal of The Year

GLEASON — Lee Lawrence, principal at Gleason School, is the 2024 recipient of the A.F. Bridges Award sponsored by the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association-District 8. The award will be presented on November 12 in Jackson.

Candidates for this prestigious award are nominated by their peers within each of the nine Tennessee athletic districts. The TSSAA Selection Committee then selects one winner from each of the nine districts. District 8 includes all schools in the counties of: Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, Tipton, and Weakley.

Lawrence attended Gleason School from Kindergarten to graduation —playing football, basketball, and baseball for the Bulldogs. In football, he was selected as All-Region three times, as well as All-West Tennessee and All-State Honorable Mention his senior season. While playing basketball for the Bulldogs, he earned All-District twice in high school. In 2000, Mr. Lee graduated from Gleason School in the Top Ten of his class.

While playing college football as a 4-year offensive lineman/center for the UTM Skyhawks, he was the first UTM offensive lineman to ever be named First-Team All-OVC. He was selected as a team captain by his teammates during his senior football season and played in all 46 of his college games, with 40 consecutive starts. In 2003, Mr. Lee was selected as the “Skyhawk Iron Man” award winner. He was also selected to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll in all semesters.

After graduating from UTM in 2004 with academic honors and a degree in Communications/Public Relations, Mr. Lee worked for Hillview Community Living Center as Director of Social Services, Admissions, and Marketing. Mr. Lee then earned a Master’s degree in Education and has dedicated the last 19 years to his beloved hometown school as a Gleason teacher, coach, athletic director, and administrator.

As Principal of our PreK-12 community school, Mr. Lee is a tremendous advocate for our students, teachers, parents, and the Gleason community. He lives in Gleason with his wife of 20 years—Amy, and his son—Luke. Luke is a junior at Gleason School and Amy, also a Gleason graduate, serves as the Gleason School Librarian.