Tuesday night at Eiffel Tower Park Tony Lawrence, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Paris, was recognized as the 2022 recipient of the Chamber of Commerce’s Person of the Year Award. The award dates back to the 70’s and has been acknowledged as one of the community’s most prestigious awards.
“Tony is the epitome of a servant leader,” commented Kim Foster, City Manager. “He is constantly looking for ways to make our community a better place but never looking for nor expecting recognition for his efforts. He sets a great example for his staff and helps them understand why their roles are important and how they are making a difference in the community. Tony is also a doer. He doesn’t come up with a new idea and expect someone else to execute it, he is front and center making sure it gets done and gets done well. He is also happy to jump on board someone else’s good idea and help them be successful. I cannot think of a more deserving individual to receive this honor and am thrilled to be able to be part of recognizing him as the Chamber’s Person of the Year.”
“When it comes to caring about the community you would be hard pressed to find anyone more compassionate than Tony,” added City Mayor Carlton Gerrell. “He is always thinking of ways to improve and to offer things that encompass the widest range of people. No one activity or group is more important than the next. He is always open to new ideas and projects; it’s always how can we make it work rather than it wont work. His calm, easy going leadership style makes him so worthy of this award”
All other award recipients will be acknowledged at the Tennessee River Jam concert in Downtown Paris Thursday evening. A full press release will be published at that time.
