Lonnie Groomes started attending the Boys Club of Cleveland, Tennessee when he was 6 years old. To this day, Lonnie still credits the Executive Director, James H. Tucker, for his success due to his influence on him and for being his father figure. Lonnie grew up at the Boys Club where he fell in love with sports and eventually became a community hero playing for the Cleveland High School Blue Raiders. When not on the field himself, he spent much of his time operating the concession stand, as a Junior Staff, during Boys & Girls Club sporting events. He talks about how Mr. Tucker used this as another opportunity to instill the value of maintaining a strong work ethic.  

After graduating from high school and based on his past ability to serve, Lonnie was awarded an official position as the Boys Club Athletic Director, a responsibility he would hold until 1987. During this time, Mr. Groomes increased the Boys Club athletic program’s reputation as the premier sports program for our community. Lonnie grew into an extremely popular staff member due to his strong communication skills and ability to relate to kids and parents. Past members still talk about how they wanted to be where Lonnie was because he always made it fun and challenging.  

One of Lonnie’s life changing moments came when Mr. Tucker entered a factory, a place Mr. Groomes had decided he would work instead of college, and shut down the assembly line demanding Lonnie go back to school. Although that was not an easy decision at the time, Lonnie still smiles when telling this story because that set him in motion to serve Boys & Girls Clubs in some capacity from that point forward. After a few challenging years of working while attending college, Lonnie was able to successfully graduate from Lee College in 1987. Immediately following graduation, Lonnie became a Program Director and then a Unit Director for the Lakeland, Florida organization unit in 1991. He then moved to Rome, Georgia where he served as a Unit Director until 1998.  

Mr. Groomes was offered a position leading the operations of the Columbus, Georgia organization from 1998-2003. In 2003, Lonnie Groomes gratefully accepted a position as the Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast, Alabama located in Ozark, Alabama. His organization has one large main campus, three school based sites, and one housing unit and has held the reputation as the cleanest and best program organization in the state of Alabama for the past decade.  

In recent interviews with past alumni who remember Lonnie’s leadership, they all mentioned how well he taught them life skills, the importance of having a strong work ethic, and for his attention to cleanliness. When Lonnie was asked about these statements, he smiles humbly and gave the credit back to his days attending the Boys Club and those who taught him well. Overall, he has been notorious for arriving to the Club early and leaving late while taking the time throughout the day to get to know the kids and the parents. Ultimately, he is the man who prioritizes the mission of the Boys and Girls Clubs above anything else.