James F Lawrence PhD, APRN-BC, FAANP CNE CPS
Dr. Lawrence has been working with the aging most of his life. He received his Master of Science in Nursing at Emory University and received his doctorate (Ph.D.) from the Medical University of South Carolina. He is a former state president of Georgia's GAPNA chapter and former state president of UAPRN, the state organization for all advanced practice nurses. During his 4 year office as UAPRN state president, he resurrected the organization by increasing its membership by over 120%, received several grants to develop a formal mentoring program, and developed the organization's first state-wide community service program in which 15 chapters throughout the state were committed to engaging in numerous community service projects. His intuitive and creative efforts in giving back to the community earned him and the organization the First Lady Recognition Award and a personal telephone call from Mrs. Michelle Obama, our nation's Fist Lady. Dr. Lawrence has also served as the national chair of Content Expert Panel in Geriatrics for ANCC. and on the national board of directors for GAPNA. He received the National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners (NCGNP's) national Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice in 2008, the National Award for Excellence and Leadership in 2007, and the national Excellence Award in Teaching in 2006. He was the recipient of the AANP's Georgia State Award for Excellence in 2009 and 2012, and still holds the record for being the only Georgia APRN to have received this award twice. Other accolades include: South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster's Distinguished Leadership Award in Health Care in 2019, the GAPNA's national Community Service Award in 2018, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s State Leadership Award in Health Care in 2013, and was selected to serve on the White House Conference on Aging Planning Committee from 2014-2015 as well as personally selected by First Lady Laura Bush to represent Nursing in the role of White House delegation to an international conference on aging between the United States and the People's Republic of China in Beijing, China. At this conference, Dr. Lawrence was the only delegate selected by the Chinese government to present at the close of the conference. He has served on Gambria Pharmaceutical's Advisory Committee and continues to serve in the role of American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Conference and Grant Reviewer, He has also served as a Manuscript Reviewer for the Journal of Gerontological Nursing and on the EditorialReview Committee for Nursing Forum. Dr. Lawrence was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame at Seton Hall University College of Nursing in 2012. Dr. Lawrence has served under three gubernatorial administrations and two U.S. Presidents' administrations as a healthcare advisor. One of his great passions in teaching and prior to entering Nursing, he served as a public classroom teacher, Assistant Principal, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Introduction. Dr Lawrence has served in faculty positions at Georgia State University, Emory University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Mercer University School of Medicine, and Abilene Christian University.