An early love of athletics and a professional devotion to education mark Willie Speed as a prime example of a dedicated leader and mentor.  A native of Eaton Park, Florida, Speed was a four-year letterman in basketball at Lakeland’s Rochelle High School.  He was a captain of the Bethune-Cookman College football team from 1954-58 and competed in shot put and discus on the track team as well. 

Speed spent his first professional years as a teacher before taking a position as football coach and athletic director at Rochelle High in 1962, coaching there for seven years.  He then moved to Kathleen High School as assistant business manager and assistant coach.  Within five years, Speed became assistant principal; in 1978, he became the principal, a position he held until 1991.  He moved up to the county office as a disaster administrator and a brief stint as acting deputy superintendent before retiring in 1997. 

During his time at Kathleen, Speed represented Polk County on the FHSAA Executive Board and was the District IX leader.  He served on the championship committee for Lakeland as the host principal for the FHSAA Basketball Finals for 13 years, and was a member of both the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association.  He was received service awards from both the FHSAA and the FIAAA. 

Speed has served on the board of directors for several organizations, including the YMCA and the Boys Club of Lakeland, and was a founding member of the board of directors of the Polk Senior Games.  Speed was instrumental in the naming of Lakeland as an All-American City in 1971 and was featured in Look magazine.  Speed was inducted into the Kathleen High School Hall of Fame in 2005, the FHSAA Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Kathleen school gymnasium is named for him. Speed passed away on Saturday, January 24, 2015.