Board of Directors

Lawrence Kinzie's commitment to helping others is rooted in a life defined by adversity, perseverance, service, and an unwavering belief that people deserve an opportunity for a better future.

Born in Missouri in 1977, Lawrence entered the foster care system at just six months old and was later adopted. His childhood took another difficult turn in 1989 when he was wrongfully accused of a crime that was ultimately determined to have been committed by members of his adoptive family. Following the investigation, Lawrence was returned to state custody. Unable to find a permanent placement, he spent the next six years moving through group homes and residential programs.

At 18, Lawrence began building a life of his own. With the support of a close friend who became a father figure, he found stability and encouragement during a pivotal time in his life. At 19, he achieved a lifelong goal by joining the United States Army.

Lawrence served approximately nine years in the military, beginning his college education in business while serving his country. His military career included deployments to Germany in 1998, Afghanistan in 2002 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and Iraq in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After sustaining injuries that ultimately prevented him from continuing the physical demands of infantry service, Lawrence began the challenging process of rehabilitation and discovering a new career path.

In 2006, he found that next chapter in Emergency Medical Services. Lawrence attended Columbia State Community College, completing both Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic programs with honors. He later earned his Critical Care Paramedic certification. Over the following two decades, he served in numerous EMS roles, including Shift Supervisor, Program Supervisor, Field Training Officer, and Assistant Director. These positions provided extensive experience in emergency response, personnel leadership, program development, crisis intervention, training, and helping people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

His commitment to public service also extended into his local community. In August 2018, Lawrence was elected Lewis County Third District Constable and has since been successfully reelected twice.

After nearly three decades of community and public service, Lawrence began recognizing a recurring problem: many of the same individuals were repeatedly cycling through treatment programs, emergency services, the criminal justice system, and homelessness. He began asking a simple but important question: what happens after someone completes treatment, leaves incarceration, ages out of foster care, or finally decides they want to change their life?

Through months of research and personal observation, Lawrence identified one of the most significant missing pieces: safe, stable, and affordable housing.

Without a secure place to live, individuals leaving treatment, incarceration, foster care, or homelessness often return to the same environments, relationships, and circumstances that contributed to their struggles in the first place. Lawrence believed that providing a safe place to live, combined with connection to community resources and supportive services, could give people the time and stability they need to rebuild their lives.

That vision became Starting Pointe of Tennessee, founded in 2025.

Starting Pointe was created to help individuals and families transition from crisis toward stability and independence. The organization seeks to provide compassionate, quality, safe, and affordable housing while helping residents connect with the resources, services, and opportunities necessary to move forward.

Lawrence understands firsthand that a difficult beginning does not have to determine a person's ending. His own journey—from foster care and instability to military service, emergency medical services, public service, and community leadership—has shaped his belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to start again.

Today, Lawrence is focused on growing Starting Pointe of Tennessee into a trusted community organization that helps break the cycle of homelessness, instability, and repeated crisis. His vision is simple but powerful: give people a safe place to begin again, surround them with the resources they need, and help them build a future they can be proud of.

Starting Pointe of Tennessee represents more than an organization to Lawrence. It represents a belief forged through experience—that sometimes, all a person needs is someone willing to believe in them, a safe place to land, and a starting point for what comes next.