UT Southern Supporter Brenda Speer Honored with 2026 Legacy of Leadership Award
A Giles County native, proud Volunteer, and steadfast advocate for educational opportunity, Brenda Speer has been named the 2026 recipient of the Brenda G. Lawson Legacy of Leadership Award by the University of Tennessee Alliance of Women Philanthropists.
Presented during the annual Women and Philanthropy Symposium, the award recognizes women whose leadership, generosity, and service create lasting impact across the University of Tennessee System and beyond. Speer’s commitment to expanding access to higher education, including her instrumental support of the merger that established University of Tennessee Southern, continues to shape opportunities for students across Southern Middle Tennessee.