SYNERGY - Alena Lawson

Alena King Lawson has been given opportunities, as she sees it. Others would say that she is a focused and diligent worker. Whatever the case, she has been using her position to serve, protect, and guide her community.

Lawson grew up in Newberry, Florida. She is the sixth child of seven to Floyd and Levonia King, who were employed as “domestic workers”. She says her parents sacrificed to provide for their family, and she attributes her success to them.

Always an honors student, Lawson graduated from Newberry High School, St. Johns Community College, and Florida State University. Her decades-long career in law enforcement has attained her respect and attention in the Gainesville area. She retired from the Gainesville Police Department after serving 21 years to become the Chief Criminal Defense Investigator for the Public Defender’s Office.

Lawson has a compassion for people, which she exercised in her career in public service as well as in her community involvement. She presently serves as the Board Chair of SIATech Charter High School, is President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and recently left her office as President of the Central Florida Community Action Agency. She has also served on the Newberry City Commission for 13 years as a Commissioner and serves on both the State and National Executive Board of her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta.

“I worked in a maledominated profession where females were seldom valued and respected. I had to constantly prove that I was capable of getting the job done and that I deserved a seat at the table. This experience taught me that if I was not invited to a seat at the table, I needed to demand a seat at the table and bring my own chair, if I had to.”

She speaks of getting into “good trouble” in order to fight injustices and advocate for social change. She was also instrumental in renaming a street in Newberry after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In this way she embodies her maiden name – King – and continues his legacy.

“Sometimes I wasn’t sure whether I was doubted as a leader due to the color of my skin, my gender, or both.” Lawson has been pushing boundaries and creating milestones with her career. She has risen to the top of her ranks as an advocate for justice and been recognized by her alma mater schools as a distinguished individual. Yet, she counts her greatest achievement as her family.

“I would say unequivocally that my greatest accomplishment was becoming a mother of two children and three grandchildren. Becoming a mom and grandmother has motivated me to be the best role model and encourager that I can be.”

Christianity is a guiding influence in her love for people and her impetus for nurturing the development of others. She sees her position in life as a servantleader, a position she takes incredibly seriously.

“I want to be remembered as a person that had a deep love for God and God’s people. I am obligated to pay [my blessing] forward by reaching down and pulling others up and to do everything in my power by mentoring, encouraging and sowing in the lives of others.”

Her advice for aspiring young professionals is to ensure that you are not the smartest person in your circle of friends. “If you are the smartest, it’s essential that you enhance your circle by including persons smarter than you.”

She also wants others to know that the obstacles they meet during their journey should be seen as opportunities for motivation and growth rather than a means to give up. “Being resourceful and being a visionary were important elements to goal setting in combating the barriers that I constantly faced.”

Lastly, don’t forget to focus on yourself. “Prioritizing your life is essential toward your pathway to leadership: Faith, Family, and all other things.”