50 Most Powerful People Of 2024 In Orlando: Education
Meet the most powerful people in the Education category.
1. Dr. Maria Vazquez | Superintendent, Orange County Public Schools
A first-generation American, Dr. Maria Vazquez has served Orange County Public Schools in various roles over the past 30-plus years—teacher, chief academic officer, area superintendent, executive area director of the West and Southwest Learning Communities, senior director for exceptional student education and multilingual services, assistant principal and principal.
She has led one of the nation’s largest school districts in a quest for educational equality for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved. Her commitment is to equity, that every child deserves a fair shot to reach their potential. She believes that all children can learn and excel at the highest level with the appropriate support, guidance and relevant learning experiences.
Vazquez has expanded access to advanced coursework for historically underserved students, recruited great teachers to the most vulnerable schools and reprioritized the district’s budget to support teaching and learning. Under her leadership, Orange County Public Schools earned an “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education for the 2023-24 school year.
In 2023, Vazquez was honored with the Don Quijote Award for Excellence. She is actively involved in the community, serving as a board member for several organizations, including Orlando Economic Partnership, City Year Orlando and CareerSource Central Florida, and is also a member of the Chiefs for Change, a program that prepares educators to lead state and district education systems.
2. Dr. Alexander Cartwright | President, University of Central Florida
Dr. Alexander Cartwright’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming the president of the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 2020 is a testament to the transformative power of education and hard work. Born in the Bahamas and immigrating to the United States as a teenager, Cartwright’s early life was marked by challenges. His experiences fostered a deep gratitude for the opportunities offered by the U.S. and higher education, a sentiment he hopes to instill in others.
As UCF’s president, he oversees more than 12,000 employees, 69,000 students and a $2 billion operating budget. Under his leadership, UCF joined the Big 12 Conference in July 2023, marking a significant milestone as the youngest university in the conference.
Cartwright aims to elevate the university to preeminence within Florida, unlocking additional resources and opportunities. Central to his strategy are industry partnerships, which he believes are crucial in creating a ripple effect of success throughout the community and economy as graduates enter the workforce. His vision is about “unleashing the potential” of everyone associated with UCF—students, faculty, staff, and the broader community—as the university builds the future.
3. Teresa Jacobs | Chair, Orange County Public Schools
Preparing students for a global economy is of critical concern to Teresa Jacobs. “Recent international assessments indicate that U.S. students lag behind their peers in other countries, particularly in math,” says Jacobs. “This underperformance jeopardizes the nation’s economic competitiveness.”
Jacobs’ three key issues to address in the coming year are school security, acquiring the funding necessary for school construction and to continue OCPS’ advocacy efforts with the state to increase funding for salaries.
Florida’s policies that divert funds from public to private schools also trouble her.
“Public schools serve as a cornerstone of democracy,” says Jacobs, “providing education to all students regardless of their background and are essential for maintaining a well-informed and employable society.”
4. Dr. Georgia Lorenz | President, Seminole State College
Under Dr. Georgia Lorenz’ leadership, Seminole State College has not only maintained one of the lowest tuition rates in the nation but was also a semifinalist for the 2023 Aspen Prize for College Excellence, placing among the top 25 colleges in the United States.
In the past year, Lorenz has spearheaded several key initiatives that further solidified Seminole State’s role as a critical educational hub, such as the expansion of the Altamonte Springs campus, supported by $4.7 million in state funding. Aimed at enhancing facilities for healthcare education, this expansion addresses the urgent need for trained professionals in nursing and respiratory therapy.
Lorenz has also strengthened partnerships to benefit the wider community, such as providing free post-secondary education and training to underserved communities.
Photo Courtesy of Seminole State College
5. Dr. Kathleen Plinske | President, Valencia College
Dr. Kathleen Plinske is president of Valencia College, which has been placing on lists of top colleges in the nation for more than a decade.
Valencia serves more than 70,000 individuals annually and continues to experience enrollment growth.
Under Plinske’s leadership, Spring 2024 represented Valencia’s highest-enrolled spring semester in the college’s history. Nearly 10,000 students completed an associate or bachelor’s degree from Valencia in 2023-24.
“A scholarship donor allowed me to attend college and be a first-generation graduate; my calling is to repay that generosity exponentially and create the same opportunity for the next generation,” says Plinske.
Plinske fervently believes in the power of education to transform students, their families and their communities. She aims to significantly increase fundraising success in the community college sector, as less than 2 percent of philanthropic gifts contributed to higher education in the United States each year are directed toward community colleges.
6. Garry Jones | President, Full Sail University
As president of Full Sail University, Garry Jones is a prime catalyst of the university’s forward motion. He works alongside the executive management team while regularly interacting with faculty, staff, students and alumni to ensure the university’s progress maintains the original mission and culture—or “heartbeat”—of the institution.
During Jones’ tenure, Full Sail University has been named the “School of the Year 2022-2023” by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges and has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022–2025.
“I am excited for the continuing expansion of Full Sail’s role in the emerging technology universe while maintaining our educational initiatives for those seeking careers in entertainment media,” says Jones. “While technology evolves at an ever-increasing rate, the purpose of that technology remains the same: to serve as tools for creative minds to share their thoughts and ideas with the many versus the few.”
Full Sail has been named to the “Top 25 Undergraduate UX/UI/HCI Schools and Colleges in the U.S.” list by Animation Career Review, a “Best IT Education Provider” by the Globee Awards for Technology and was featured among the “TopRank: Cyber-Security/AI Degree Programs in Florida” by Florida Trend magazine.
7. Dr. Deborah German | Founding Dean, UCF College of Medicineto
Dr. Deborah German, the birth of the UCF College of Medicine was not simply an expansion of education, but an opportunity to soar.
“I wanted to see how high we could fly here in Central Florida, and what we could do if we all worked together,” she says.
The UCF College of Medicine was the first entity of the fast-growing Lake Nona Medical City and has served as the academic hub since its inception in 2006.
Early on, German realized that if she wanted top-tier students and an accredited program, she would need a worthwhile incentive. She raised enough money in her community to become the “first medical school in the history of American medicine to send an entire class through for free.”
Since, her mission has been to create a research and education structure that will transform healthcare “so that every person, regardless of their stature in society,” can “get the same quality of care.”
The UCF College of Nursing is expected to join the Medical City in 2025. The pandemic shined a light on the importance of nurses in the U.S.,” German says, and after almost 12 years of planning, now is the right time to move forward.
She also hopes to expand graduate programs and open a residence hall.
8. Wendy Brandon | CEO, UCF Lake Nona Hospital
With Wendy Brandon in command, the UCF Lake Nona Hospital was named the first innovation hub within HCA Healthcare’s network of 186 U.S. hospitals just six months after opening, and is now being nationally recognized for the team’s outstanding patient care.
The emergency department was recognized with the Lantern Award, the Emergency Nurses Association’s most prestigious honor.
“To be a relatively new hospital, to have already accomplished the degree of expertise that it takes to earn that recognition is really a testament to the great work that our team is doing,” Brandon says.
UCF Lake Nona Hospital is a partnership hospital between the University of Central Florida Academic Health Sciences Center and HCA Healthcare.
Since opening in March 2021, the team has delivered more than 5,000 babies.
Brandon added that the family birthing unit and surgical services will be the first areas of their physical footprint to expand. Still, recent investments in cutting-edge technology have contributed to their growth—like the new robots being used to perform orthopedic surgery.
“Our mission is to find solutions that transform healthcare,” Brandon says. “Not just incrementally change and get better, but truly transform how we deliver healthcare.”
9. Dr. Christopher F. Roellke | President, Stetson University
Since his arrival as Stetson’s 10th president in July 2020—the height of the global pandemic—Dr. Christopher Roellke has been building a culture rooted in kindness and empathy.
Roellke’s goal is to take Stetson from “Florida gem to national treasure.” The FORWARD TOGETHER strategic plan is focused on experiential and integrative learning and will enhance the academic and co-curricular environment for 3,700 students at Stetson’s campuses in DeLand, Tampa and Gulfport.
“Stetson is committed to creating the most relationship-rich university in the country to help prepare the next generation of leaders for an increasingly complex and interdependent world,” he says.
Under his leadership, Stetson constructed the 40,000-square-foot Cici & Hyatt Brown Hall for Health & Innovation and reopened a renovated Sage Hall, creating a new science complex.
He collaborated with faculty to launch the innovative Center for Public Opinion Research (CPOR), part of Stetson’s efforts to promote deliberative democracy in Central Florida and beyond.
This fall, the university welcomed students back to a newly renovated Edmunds Center, a 5,000-seat arena, and iconic Elizabeth Hall. Also, a new 305-bed residence hall is under construction.
Roellke and his team have raised a record-breaking $191 million since his arrival, providing more scholarships to make Stetson affordable to a wide range of talented students, as well as growing the university’s endowment.
“Kindness not only matters, it enables us to listen, to engage with others unlike ourselves and to consider paths we forge together to make our community, in fact the world, a better place,” he says.
