MADISON – Employees in the Transportation Department of Madison City Schools selected Lilli Lawrence as Staff Member of the Year.

“I don’t just LIKE working in the transportation department … I truly LOVE working there,” Lawrence said.

“I’ve been working for MCS for five years. Prior to transitioning to Madison, I was a bus driver in Florida and spent 15 wonderful years with transportation departments in that area,” Lawrence said.

A native Floridian, she grew up in Gretna and then lived in Bristol, Tallahassee and Chattahoochee, Fla. Living in Madison since 2010, Lawrence said, “I truly believe it was a divine appointment. It was through the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit to relocate my family to Madison.”

“I’ve been afforded the opportunity to come in contact with some amazing people … people who have shown they genuinely care about you as a co-worker and a person,” Lawrence said. She is one of the department’s lead bus drivers.

Lawrence will never forget her kindergarten teacher, Leroy Colston. “Although I was only five, I remember my experience in his class like it was yesterday. About two months into school starting, I became very ill. This illness landed me in the hospital for about 17 weeks.”

“Mr. Colston came by my hospital room every day after work. He would come into my room with the biggest, brightest smile on his face,” she said. “While there, he would help me with school work, tell me funny things to make me laugh, and sing to me before he left. He did this unselfishly.”

From those acts of kindness, “he became my god-daddy. I became his little girl. He really exemplified true character. His kind acts impacted my life tremendously. Through his kindness and generosity, my life turned out to be spectacular,” Lawrence said.

“I’m the proud mother of three wonderful children: Makayla, 21; Adam, 19, and Deseree Graham, 17. They all attended Bob Jones High School,” she said.

“My hobbies and interests are working on the computer, trivia games and availing myself to be used by God,” Lawrence said.