Lorenzo Lawson
Board Director
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Lorenzo Lawson says he will contribute whatever expertise and resources at his command for the purpose of accomplishing PRIDE's goals and objectives. Mr. Lawson is an inner-city minister and executive director of the Youth Empowerment Zone, an organization that aims to uplift the downtrodden and those of greatest need. He feels that PRIDE's goal of providing a safe and nurturing facility to the inner-city coincides perfectly with those of Youth Empowerment Zone.

Mr. Lawson's passion for the central city and its residents comes from his life-long attachment to the area. Born and raised in Columbia, he attended Douglass High School during segregation and Hickman High School after integration. He earned a B.S. in sociology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After living in other communities for 22 years, he returned to Columbia in 2000, and with his wife founded Chosen Generation Ministries (CGM), an inner-city mission ministry. CGM holds worship services and Bible study at the Columbia Housing Authority's Blind Boone Community Center, and worship services at the Boone County Jail Saturday mornings. Involvement with Columbia's at-risk youth spurred him to co-found the Youth Empowerment Project, which helps young people gain and retain employment. Since August 2005, he has also directed relief assistance to victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita at the Disaster Recovery Center.

Mr. Lawson's contributions to the community haven't gone unnoticed. One of his proudest moments was at the 2006 annual Columbia Values Diversity Celebration, when he was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Award for his disaster relief efforts.