NANCY ALVAREZ
VICE PRESIDENT, HEART OF FLORIDA UNITED WAY
After covering major news stories in the Orlando community for over 20 years, Alvarez joined the Heart of Florida United Way.

RANDOLPH BRACY
FLORIDA SENATOR
Serving since 2012, Senator Bracy, a graduate of Dr. Phillips High School, has been a true champion for social justice.

LEE CONSTANTINE
DISTRICT 3 COMMISSIONER, SEMINOLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT – BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Commissioner Constantine is serving his fourth term as Chairman of the Wekiva River Basin Commission, honoring his commitment to protect the Wekiva River while building the beltway around Central Florida.

ED DURKEE
PRESIDENT & CEO, GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
“Goodwill is the best company in the world at creating jobs and opportunity for our neighbors,” says Durkee. “It will be a privilege to work with the Board of Directors and the organization’s excellent team to help the people of Central Florida.”

ANGIE GARDNER
MAYOR OF EATONVILLE, EDUCATOR
Gardner spends her days teaching second grade and the rest of her time as the new mayor of Eatonville.

TANISHA GARY
PRESIDENT & CEO, AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CENTRAL FLORIDA
Gary practiced law for 18 years prior to her current role as President of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.

OLGA GONZALEZ
MAYOR OF KISSIMMEE
Gonzalez is serving the City of Kissimmee as the fi rst female Hispanic Mayor in Central Florida.

NICOLE GUILLET
PRESIDENT & CEO, ORLANDO SANFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Recently appointed the new president and CEO of Orlando Sanford International Airport, Guillet previously served as executive vice president of commercial development, real estate, and legal aff airs for the Airport Authority.

KALEB HARRELL
CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF HAWKERS ASIAN STREET FOOD
The Orlando-based restaurant chain earlier this year was named among the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Florida 2021, statewide companies with the fastest revenue growth from 2017-2019.

RICKY LY
PRESIDENT & OWNER OF TASTYCHOMPS
A board member of the Asian American Federation of Florida, Ly is the founder of the Orlando food blog, TastyChomps.com and author of “The Food Lovers’ Guide to Orlando,” chronicling the stories of Orlando’s growing food scene.

ESU MA’AT
CHIEF DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION OFFICER, ORLANDO MAGIC
Ma’at is a trans-disciplinary thought leader who has a distinguished track record of success driving a 21st Century vision for diversity, equity and inclusion.

EDDY MORATIN
PRESIDENT, LIFT ORLANDO
Eddy Moratin is president of Lift Orlando, a nonprofit that works with residents, business leaders, and community partners to strengthen The Communities of West Lakes.

BRENDAN O’CONNOR
AUTHOR & EDITOR AT THE BUNGALOWER
The ubiquitous radio, podcast host and Editor in Chief of Bungalower has become a top online new resource for Orlando.

DR. RAUL PINO
HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR, ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Dr. Pino served as Orange County medical director since May 2019 and accepted a new job with Orange County as the new head of Health Services.

RENE COACH P. PLASENCIA
DISTRICT 50 REPRESENTATIVE, FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Born and raised in Orlando, Plasencia was a teacher at Colonial High School before serving as a Member of the Florida House of Representatives in 2016.

ADAM SCHEINBERG
VICE PRESIDENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
MASSEY SERVICES & ORLANDO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP’S LEADERSHIP CHAIR REPRESENTATIVES
Before joining Massey Services, Scheinberg was Network Engineering Team Leader working under contract for the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

VICTORIA SIPLIN
DISTRICT 6 COMMISSIONER, ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Siplin was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2014 and overwhelmingly reelected in 2018. Born in Nassau, Bahamas, Siplin is Haitian-American.

DAVID SMITH
DISTRICT 28 REPRESENTATIVE, FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A resident of Winter Springs, Smith, a graduate of Texas A&M University and Florida Institute of Technology, was in 52 combat missions in Iraq.

ED TIMBERLAKE & SIBILLE PRITCHARD
CHAIRMAN & VICE CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS DR. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Timberlake and Pritchard were appointed Chair and Vice Chair of the Dr. Phillip’s Center for the Performing Arts.

MAYRA URIBE
DISTRICT 3 COMMISSIONER, ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT – BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Uribe is a dedicated wife, mother business owner and a first-generation American born and raised in District 3.

DR. MARIA VAZQUEZ
SUPERINTENDENT, ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
After serving as the deputy superintendent for Orange County Public Schools, Vazquez was selected as superintendent. She will be the first Hispanic superintendent in OCPS history.

MICHAEL WALTZ
CONGRESSMAN, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Waltz is a Colonel in the National Guard, a combat-decorated Green Beret, former White House and Pentagon policy advisor, a small business owner, an author, and a proud father. He is the fi rst Green Beret to be elected to Congress.

Learn More About The 2022 Ones To Watch

NANCY ALVAREZ
VICE PRESIDENT, HEART OF FLORIDA UNITED WAY

“Over the years, as I covered some of our toughest moments, I always noticed Heart of Florida United Way was there shining a light and helping lift our neighbors. I’m grateful for this opportunity to join a team focused on empowering our diverse and rapidly growing community.”

Alvarez began her 21-year award-winning broadcasting career as a reporter for Central Florida News 13’s Brevard County Bureau. She also spent five years at WKMG Channel 6 where she worked as an investigative reporter. She covered the space program at both stations for most of her early career. After leaving the market for a brief time, she joined WFTV where she spent the last 11 years. In that time, she was at the center of every major story in the region including storms, political events, the tragedy at the Pulse nightclub and the COVID-19 pandemic. Nancy was also one of the first reporters on the ground in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. Over the course of multiple trips, she provided coverage of the impacts of the storm both on the island and in Florida as evacuees moved to the mainland. She was also there for the political unrest that led to the resignation of the island’s governor in 2019.

“Nancy is a trusted voice in the community,” said Jeff Hayward, President & CEO, Heart of Florida United Way. “We are looking forward to working with her to continue telling the most important stories in our community and being an advocate for underrepresented segments of our region.”

RANDOLPH BRACY
FLORIDA SENATOR

Randy is a graduate of Dr. Phillips High School where he was a star of the team. Randy was recruited to play Division 1 basketball at the College of William and Mary on an athletic scholarship. He set many basketball records for the school and was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, he played professional basketball for a short period of time in Turkey. After retiring from the game, Randy returned to Orlando to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Central Florida.

In 2012, a new seat was created in Orlando for the Florida House of Representatives. Randy decided to throw his hat in the ring. He worked hard and clinched the seat for House District 45. After four successful years in the House, he then ran for the Florida Senate and was victorious in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

LEE CONSTANTINE
DISTRICT 3 COMMISSIONER, SEMINOLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT – BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Commissioner Constantine is serving his fourth term as Chairman of the Wekiva River Basin Commission, honoring his commitment to protect the Wekiva River while building the beltway around Central Florida. He is also currently the Vice-Chairman of the Florida Conservation Coalition (FCC) and on the Executive Board of 1,000 Friends of Florida. Lee Constantine is also the Chairman of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council and the President of the Florida Regional Planning Councils.

Commissioner Lee Constantine’s passion for community service is best displayed as Founder and Chairman of Charity Challenge, Inc., established in 1987. Since its inception,

Charity Challenge has evolved from a small backyard event into the largest independent charity in Central Florida, raising over $6 million for hundreds of Florida charities.  Professionally, Lee also serves as a business consultant on a wide range of issues for high level corporations and government agencies.

ED DURKEE
PRESIDENT & CEO, GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Durkee brings decades of experience in executive and director-level positions for other Goodwill organizations across the U.S. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Goodwill Central Coast in Santa Cruz, California, a position he held since 2013. Durkee earned a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from Indiana University. He currently sits on the Goodwill Industries International Board of Directors and also serves on the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership Board of Directors.

“After conducting a nationwide search, we found numerous qualified candidates, which speaks to the bright future Goodwill has as an organization,” said Michael Hsu, Board Chairman for Goodwill Industries of Central Florida. “After careful deliberation, we selected Ed Durkee as the best person to carry on our mission here in Central Florida. Ed’s passion for helping others, his focus on workforce development and his strong leadership ability will be key ingredients for our organization to continue providing job training and employment placement services to people who often face barriers to finding work.”

In his new role, Durkee will help Goodwill continue expanding its reach across Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Brevard and Volusia counties.

“I could not be happier to be going to Central Florida,” added Durkee. “Goodwill is the best company in the world at creating jobs and opportunity for our neighbors. It will be a privilege to work with the Board of Directors and the organization’s excellent team to help the people of Central Florida.”

ANGIE GARDNER
MAYOR OF EATONVILLE, EDUCATOR

The newly elected Mayor Angie Gardner is not the first woman mayor of Eatonville, but with her visionary leadership and solid commitment to its people and history, she is poised to lead the town into the future.

Mayor Gardner has a rich background, ideally suited for a mayoral office. Gardner attended Rollins College in Winter Park, earning a BA in Economics, a Minor in Business, and an M. Ed. In Education and now works as a full-time second-grade teacher. This unique blend of skills is serving her well as she assumes the role.

“One thing I found out coming into the office is that many of our fees are outdated,” says Gardner. “We need to bring our town, its processes, and all ordinances up to 2024 standards because we need to look ahead.”

TANISHA GARY
PRESIDENT & CEO, AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CENTRAL FLORIDA

Tanisha practiced law for 18 years prior to her current role as President of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida. Her passion for leadership and to help others fuels her drive to push the Chamber to new heights and equip Central Florida Businesses with the tools and resources necessary to succeed.

OLGA GONZALEZ
MAYOR OF KISSIMMEE

Mayor Olga Gonzalez, and her family moved to Osceola County after she retired from General Motors. It was in Osceola County, where Gonzalez started a nonprofit organization called Church and Community Assistance Program, Inc.The non-profit organization started by donating individual bags of food, which later turned into boxes with food supplies to last up to 2 weeks for a family of four. As the non-profit grew, Olga partnered with the State Department of Children and Families (DCF) to assist with food stamp and Medicaid applications. Shortly after that, the Church and Community Assistance Program became a subcontractor with one of the highest counts of claims filed.

The organization evolved into a one-stop-shop for people needing help. Rather than creating a new service to help people and compete with other agencies, Olga’s vision was to be an efficient resource that connected DCF with the Department of Health to help young mothers who had just given birth, assist seniors with diabetes and other health related issues, to working with Job Partnership – an organization that helps young men and women coming out of jail to enter the workforce.

NICOLE GUILLET
PRESIDENT & CEO, ORLANDO SANFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

KALEB HARRELL
CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF HAWKERS ASIAN STREET FOOD

RICKY LY
PRESIDENT & OWNER OF TASTYCHOMPS

Ricky Ly founded TastyChomps.com in 2008 as a local Orlando food blog dedicated to finding the tastiest bits and pieces of Orlando as well as around the world. His first book, Food Lovers’ Guide to Orlando: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings (Food Lovers’ Series) is available now on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Photography is taken using a Canon EOS 6D and a Sony Nex-3. In 2017, he was inducted into the Orlando Sentinel’s Culinary Hall of Fame. He is also featured in the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100, a weekly opinion column featuring 100 of the most influential people in local government, politics and culture. In 2018, he was chosen by the Orlando Weekly as one of the “Ten People Making Orlando a Better Place to Be.”

ESU MA’AT
CHIEF DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION OFFICER, ORLANDO MAGIC

Ma’at is a trans-disciplinary thought leader with a distinguished track record of success in driving a 21st century vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Before coming to the Magic in 2020, he created and led the U.S. Tennis Association’s Eastern Diversity and Inclusion department and was an advisory board member for the All-In Diversity Project, a London-based nonprofit that creates diversity, equity, and inclusion standards for companies worldwide.

EDDY MORATIN
PRESIDENT, LIFT ORLANDO

Eddy Moratin is president of Lift Orlando, a nonprofit that works with residents, business leaders, and community partners to strengthen The Communities of West Lakes. The organization, recently awarded the Floridian of the Year award by Florida Trend, strengthens the historically African American communities near Camping World Stadium by investing in mixed-income housing, cradle-to-career education pathways, health and wellness services, and economic viability opportunities. He serves as a board member and advisor to various organizations, such as the Federal Reserve Jacksonville Branch, Orlando Economic Partnership, Foundation for Orlando’s Future, PathNorth, and 4Roots Foundation. Orlando Business Journal recognized Moratin as a Power Player in 2021 and CEO of the Year in 2019.

BRENDAN O’CONNOR
AUTHOR & EDITOR AT THE BUNGALOWER

The ubiquitous radio, podcast host, and Editor in Chief of Bungalower has become a top online news resource for Orlando. The community-focused local news website covers and champions downtown Orlando and its surrounding “bungalow neighborhoods.” O’Connor is also a co-host of the weekly “Bungalower and the Bus” on Real Radio 104.1 FM.

DR. RAUL PINO
HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR, ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Dr. Pino served as the Chief Health Officer of the Department of Health in Orange County for the past three years.  From March of 2020, Pino worked side-by-side with Mayor Demings through 166 COVID-19 news conferences.

As the Director of the Health Services Department, Dr. Pino will oversee all strategic, operational and fiscal responsibilities of the department, which includes the oversight of the county’s Corrections Health Services, Drug Free Office, Orange County Medical Clinic, Animal Services and Mosquito Control Division, as well as any response to unique public health matters affecting county residents.

Dr. Pino’s educational background includes a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Instituto Superior de Ciencicias Medicas de la Universidad de La Habana, Havana, Cuba, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.  Prior to coming to the state of Florida in 2019, Dr. Pino served as the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Health from 2015-2019.

MICHAEL WALTZ
CONGRESSMAN, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Congressman Mike Waltz represents North Central Florida, is a Colonel in the National Guard, a combat-decorated Green Beret, former White House and Pentagon policy advisor, a small business owner, an author, and a proud father. He is the first Green Beret to be elected to Congress.

Mike was born in Boynton Beach and grew up in Jacksonville. He was raised by a hard-working single mother and is the son and grandson of Navy Chiefs.

He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with Honors, has served over 26 years in the U.S. Army, and is presently serving in the National Guard. After being commissioned as an Army lieutenant, Mike graduated Ranger School and was selected for the elite Green Berets, serving worldwide as a Special Forces officer with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. For his actions in combat, Mike was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two for Valor.

During his time in Afghanistan, Mike led the teams searching for deserter Pvt. Bowe Berghdal. Mike was one of the first to publicly call into question then-President Obama’s labeling of Berghdal as a hero and has continued to lead the call for justice on behalf of all the service-members Berghdal’s desertion put in harm’s way.

Mike then went on to serve in the White House as Vice President Dick Cheney’s counterterrorism advisor, where he saw firsthand the difficult decisions the President and his Cabinet must make to protect our national security. Mike’s position in the White House was unique, as he advised the Bush administration on policy he actually carried out in the military.

His experiences as a soldier and a policy advisor inspired him to write the book, “Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan,” the proceeds of which continue to benefit the Green Beret and Matthew Pucino Foundations.

Following his time in the White House, Mike then built a small business to over 400 employees and was repeatedly listed in the Inc. 500 index as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

A former Fox News Channel contributor, Mike, provides expert commentary on foreign policy, defense, and business issues to viewers around the world.

ADAM SCHEINBERG
VICE PRESIDENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MASSEY SERVICES & ORLANDO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP’S LEADERSHIP CHAIR REPRESENTATIVES

Adam Scheinberg joined Massey Services in 2003 as a systems manager and was quickly promoted to Director of Information Technology and then Senior Director of IT in 2008. In 2016, Adam was promoted to his current role of Vice President of Information Technology. In this role, Adam is responsible for Massey Services’ technology strategy, and he oversees all technology-related personnel, including the IT support team, database administrators, systems administration and network engineering teams, and all systems and application development.

During his tenure, Adam has been responsible for implementing numerous technological advancements at Massey Services, including a disaster recovery strategy and the migration to Office 365. He also developed a companywide Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) that transformed the company’s sales management.

Prior to joining Massey Services, Adam was Network Engineering Team Leader working under contract for the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). While working with NAVSEA, he assisted with the transition to the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) and spearheaded the conversion of several software systems.

A graduate of James Madison University, Adam is a Microsoft Certified Professional as well as a certified Project Management Professional. He has been recognized as Massey’s Corporate Team Member of the Year and as one of the Orlando Business Journal’s Forty Under 40.

Adam is active in the Central Florida community and currently serves as the Chair for both the Orlando Repertory Theater and the Orlando Tech Council.  He’s also the President of The Mockingbird Foundation, a non-profit that supports music and arts education for children. He previously served on the Boards of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Central Florida Tech Alliance, the Orlando Regional Tech Association, the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando.

VICTORIA SIPLIN
DISTRICT 6 COMMISSIONER, ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Victoria Siplin was born in Nassau, Bahamas to Haitian parents in 1974.  After the sudden death of her mother and the abandonment of her father, Victoria became an orphan at the tender age of 3 and was sent to live with an aunt in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Victoria attended Indian River State College and graduated with honors from Dillard High School in 1992; Victoria is a former “Miss Dillard.”

Victoria’s commitment to service was demonstrated as a Senate Page (1991) for Senator Carrie P. Meek, the first African-American ever elected to the Florida Senate (1979), and the first African-American to serve since Reconstruction; and, Senator Arnett E. Girardeau, the first African-American man elected to the Florida Senate (1992).  Victoria also served as a mentor to low-income students in Broward County.

Victoria has been an Entrepreneur since 1998. Victoria also is a consultant, community organizer, and a fund-raiser for non-profit organizations that focus on transforming the lives of children and adults in a caring, fair, and safe environment. Victoria further serves a general manager and paralegal at Siplin Law, PA, located in the Pine Hills community.  Her volunteering services include Palmetto Elementary PTA President, West Oak Elementary PTA Treasurer; community outreach programs such as the Annual School Supply Giveaway (14 years), Annual Christmas Toy Giveaway (11 years), Miss Haiti South Florida Scholarship Founder; and, workshops on Restoration of Rights, and Immigration. Victoria’s memberships include New Covenant Baptist Church, National Congress of Black Women, Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, Junior League of Greater Orlando, and the NAACP.

DAVID SMITH
DISTRICT 28 REPRESENTATIVE, FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

David’s family moved to Central Florida in 1972. His father was a career U.S. Army officer and Vietnam Veteran. His extended family still lives in Merritt Island.

RENE COACH P. PLASENCIA
DISTRICT 50 REPRESENTATIVE, FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Born and raised in Orlando, Plasencia was a teacher at Colonial High School before serving as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 2014. He currently serves on six committees for the House, including Vice Chair on both the Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee and the Secondary Education & Career Development Subcommittee.

MAYRA URIBE
DISTRICT 3 COMMISSIONER, ORANGE COUNTY
GOVERNMENT – BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Uribe is a dedicated wife, mother, business owner, and a first-generation American born and raised in District 3. The Orlando native is of Colombian and Argentinian descent and celebrates the diversity of her heritage in her community. She serves on several boards, including MetroPlan Orlando, the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, and the Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board.

ED TIMBERLAKE & SIBILLE PRITCHARD
CHAIRMAN & VICE CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS DR. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Timberlake and Pritchard were appointed Chair and Vice Chair of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts after founding donor Jim Pugh stepped down as chairman in the summer of 2022. Timberlake has been a member of the board of directors since 2005 and is a 28-year Orlando resident. In 2006, they honored him with the Jewish National Fund’s Tree of Life Award. Pritchard is an accomplished businesswoman with a passion for the arts who serves on numerous organizations within the Central Florida community.

DR. MARIA VAZQUEZ
SUPERINTENDENT, ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

After serving as the deputy superintendent for Orange County Public Schools, they selected Vazquez as superintendent in June 2022. She will be the first Hispanic superintendent in OCPS history. Vasquez has served at every level of the education system, beginning her career as an elementary school classroom teacher and later becoming an assistant principal, principal, area superintendent, and chief academic officer.