Longtime educator and Lee University alumnus Johnny McDaniel (‘81) will return to campus this fall to serve as an associate professor of educational leadership in Lee’s Helen DeVos College of Education (HDCOE). McDaniel, no stranger to the university, has been an education consultant, field experiences supervisor, and adjunct professor in the HDCOE.

McDaniel returns to Cleveland after being the director of the Lawrence County School System (LCSS) in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Prior to LCSS, he served as the director of Bradley County Schools, principal for Bradley County High School, assistant principal for Atlantic Community High School, senior pastor at Grace Family Church in Lantana, Florida, and a school counselor.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. McDaniel to our faculty on a full-time basis,” said Dr. Bill Estes, dean of the HDCOE. “All of us in the Helen DeVos College of Education have worked with him in numerous settings. His experience and knowledge will be a welcome asset in the training of teachers, school counselors, and administrators.

Throughout his 34 years in the education profession, McDaniel has been named Superintendent of the Year by Professional Educators of Tennessee and received the Tennessee Coordinated School Health Superintendent Leadership Award, the Tennessee Superintendent of the Year 2013 Award, and awards from the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association and the American School Health Association. He was also honored in 2014 by Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society for educators, for his demonstration of excellence in the classroom.

McDaniel earned an Education Specialist and a Master of Education from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor of Science from Lee.

He is a member of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents, American Association of School Administrators, and Professional Educators of Tennessee.

McDaniel will reside in Cleveland with his wife, Rozan. They have two children, Jared McDaniel (‘08, ‘09), who is married to Hillary Tedrick McDaniel (‘12), and Captain Joshua McDaniel (U.S. Army), who is married to Erin Hale McDaniel (‘12, ‘16).