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Florida Executive Women – Special Event
Voices of Leadership: Central Florida’s Higher Education Presidents
Central Florida is fortunate to have so many women College and University Presidents. We welcome you to a panel of women presidents who will share their insights on higher education and their journeys to leadership.
How Does This Topic Benefit Executive Women?
Understanding the local educational and workforce landscape is critical for us to understand as local leaders. The local Higher Education presidents can offer deep insights. Additionally, we can learn and be inspired by the stories of local women leaders.
5:00 PM – Parking/Arrival
5:30 PM – Program Begins Promptly
- Appetizers will be served
- The address will be sent to those who RSVP
Speaker Bios:
Brooke Barnett is the 16th president of Rollins College. She took office on July 1, 2025, after serving as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Butler University. In that role, Barnett provided strategic leadership for all academic programs and student success initiatives across undergraduate, graduate, and online platforms, with a particular focus on student belonging and success, faculty development, and innovative learning experiences. She also served as a key member of the university’s executive cabinet and as second-in-command to the president. Prior to serving as provost, Barnett was dean of Butler’s College of Communication.
Before her time at Butler, Barnett spent nearly two decades at Elon University, where she served in several senior leadership roles focused on academic and inclusive excellence. As associate provost and a member of the president’s senior cabinet, she and colleagues created the nationally recognized Center for Access and Success, which helps students from all backgrounds succeed in pre-K through graduate school.
Barnett began her career as a journalist and media producer.
Dr. Georgia Lorenz began her tenure as the third president of Seminole State College of Florida on August 1, 2018. Under Dr. Lorenz’s leadership, Seminole State was named a top ten finalist for the 2025 Aspen Prize for College Excellence. Dr. Lorenz serves as the Chair of the Florida College System’s Council of Presidents. She is the immediate Past Chair for the board of IMPOWER, which includes The Village program. The program offers safe, affordable housing combined with comprehensive wraparound supports for homeless and former foster youth ages 18-24. In addition, Dr. Lorenz serves on the boards of organizations including the Orlando Economic Partnership, AdventHealth Central Florida division, Heart of Florida United Way, Florida Citrus Sports, and the Association of Florida Colleges. She was recognized by Phi Theta Kappa with the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction and by the Orlando Business Journal as a 2021 CEO of the Year, a 2022 Power Player, a 2023 Woman Who Means Business, and as one of the 2025 Women of the Year by Orlando Magazine.
Dr. Lorenz has spent her career in higher education at both universities and community colleges, working in student affairs, academic research, and academic affairs before joining Seminole State. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Administration at the University of Southern California (USC), where she was awarded the Delta Epsilon Dissertation Award of Merit. She holds a Master of Science in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University.
Kathleen Plinske serves as president of Valencia College, a 70,000-student community college located in Orlando, Florida. As a first-generation college graduate, Plinske is passionate about the role that education can play in transforming the lives of students and their families, and in turn, our communities. Prior to being selected in a nationwide search as Valencia’s fifth president, Plinske had served at Valencia since 2010 as Campus President and as Executive Vice President and Provost. Prior to joining Valencia, Plinske began her career at McHenry County College, a community college in her hometown of Crystal Lake, Illinois.
A graduate of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Plinske attended Indiana University Bloomington as a Herman B Wells Scholar, earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and physics. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she completed a Master’s degree in Spanish from Roosevelt University and a doctorate in educational technology from Pepperdine University. An avid lifelong learner, she has continued her education by subsequently earning a Master’s degree in business administration and a Master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida. She is currently pursuing a second doctorate, this one in philanthropy, from Indiana University, and is studying how to improve fundraising success in the community college sector.