Lonnell vs. Lo', the Urban Legend

Lonnell Matthews, Jr. is currently the Program Director for the School Age Services department of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee and a promising entrepreneur in the Entertainment and Fashion Industry. Upon House Representative Brenda Gilmore’s election to the state legislature in November 2006, Lonnell Matthews announced his candidacy for the 2007 Metro Council, District 1 seat that will be left vacant. Since 2003, Mr. Matthews has served on the Board of Directors for Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (J.U.M.P.), a non-profit organization that was formed to empower merchants and residents to promote and preserve the Historic Jefferson Street Community. He also acted as the Tennessee State University Student Coordinator for National Democratic Party during the 2000 Presidential Election. Under the leadership of Lonnell Matthews 1200 TSU students were registered to vote. Matthews was also very instrumental in influencing the highest voter turnout of Tennessee State University students ever, during the 2000 Federal Election. Lonnell Matthews earned an Honors Diploma from Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School for Health Sciences and Engineering in 1997. Afterwards, Matthews matriculated through Tennessee State University as an Accounting/ Business Law major, where he crossed the graduation stage in December of 2002. In order to further his education of Real Estate and Urban Development, Matthews enrolled in the Continual Learning Institute and later was granted his Real Estate License in April of 2003. His civic engagements include involvement with Metro Parks Youth Sports, YMCA Youth Sports, Leadership Educational and Entrepreneurial Program (L.E.E.P.), Generation of Educated Men (G.E.M.), Nashville Film Circle, ASCAP, and many others. Matthews has also volunteered for Big Brothers of Nashville, Habitat for Humanity, 2nd Harvest Food Bank, and The ARC of Davidson County. Matthews is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lonnell Matthews, Sr. (Billie) and a friend to the city of Nashville, TN.