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Maria Lee is an American educator and current First Lady of Tennessee. Her husband, Bill Lee, is the current Governor of Tennessee.

Early life and education

Maria Lee was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She grew up in a family of seven, with her mother being a stay-at-home-mom, and her father, a tile installer. After high school, she went to the University of Maryland, to become a teacher, and received her degree in Elementary Education.

Career in education

Lee's teaching career led her to Tennessee, to a Christian school in Nashville, where she taught for 14 years. Along with being a third and fourth grade educator, Lee was also a coach for the school's softball, track and field, and cross-country teams.

First Lady of Tennessee (2019-present)

Lee is Tennessee's current First Lady. Her initiative in the office has been focused on community service, volunteering, and faith-based activities in the state. She currently is on the board of the Friend2Friend Book Project, an organization that delivers literature to children and their families suffering from health issues.

In May 2019, Lee introduced her main initiative as First Lady, called Tennessee Serves. The program is designed to encourage Tennessee residents to engage in community service. The initiative also strongly focuses on youth serving. “At a young age, my parents taught me the importance of serving others, and now, it’s a big part of who I am. I hope to instill the same in kids at an early age,” Lee said. “By engaging kids, we hope that the whole family will get involved in serving.”

Personal life

Lee married Bill Lee in October 2008. The couple live in Fernvale. They attend Grace Chapel Church and have been on multiple mission trips, including building houses in Mexico and working in a Haitian orphanage.

In August 2022, it was announced that Lee had been diagnosed with lymphoma. She began treatment immediately after the diagnosis. Later on, in February 2023, Lee completed her first part of cancer treatment and was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant.

References

1. "Who is Maria Lee | Get to know Tennessee's next First Lady". wbir.com. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
2. ^ Ebert, Karen Grigsby and Joel. "Bill Lee's wife: 6 things to know about next Tennessee first lady Maria Lee". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
3. ^ "About Maria". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
4. "Maria Lee". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
5. "First Lady Maria Lee Launches Tennessee Serves". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
6. "Gov. Lee announces wife has lymphoma". WKRN News 2. 2022-08-26. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
7. "First Lady of Tennessee, Maria Lee, Shares Her Experience with Lymphoma". Lymphoma Research Foundation. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
8. "Tennessee first lady completes first part of treatment, now set for bone marrow transplant". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2023-04-01.

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