Orange County Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins and Valencia State College President (Ret.) Dr. Sandy Shugart will receive the prestigious economic development award.
The Orlando Economic Partnership (the Partnership) will honor two legendary leaders in education for their work in advancing programs to expand academic progress for the region. Dr. Barbara Jenkins, superintendent of Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) and Dr. Sandy Shugart, retired president of Valencia College will both receive the James B. Greene Award during the Partnership’s 2022 Annual Dinner. The dinner will be held Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
“The James B. Greene Award recognizes those whose work has made a substantial impact on the economic prosperity of the Orlando region,” said Sandy Hostettler, chair of the Orlando Economic Partnership.
“We are fortunate, as a community, to have benefited from two leaders who have led with vision, resolve, and dedication to expanding the opportunities afforded to our residents, families and students.”
Sandy Hostettler, Chair of the Orlando Economic Partnership
Under Dr. Jenkins’ leadership, OCPS won the prestigious 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education. The prize garnered $500,0000 for student scholarships from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. The district also received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2014 and 2015 and the Sustained Excellence Award in 2017 for its exemplary performance using research-based best practices in its business. In 2022, Jenkins received the Baldrige Foundation Leadership Excellence Award. In 2017, Dr. Jenkins was named Florida Superintendent of the Year and one of four finalists for the national title.
Dr. Shugart served as the fourth president of Valencia College. For more than a decade, he led the college in a process of deep change designed to put student learning first and achieve quantum improvements in completion. As a Vanguard Learning College, an Achieving the Dream leader college, and a Gates/DEI grantee, Valencia pioneered systemic changes in student engagement, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment, and articulation – changes that resulted in dramatic improvements in student learning and graduation and the closing of gaps between students of different backgrounds.
“Individually, Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Shugart have impacted our community in extraordinary ways, and their lists of accomplishments are extensive.”
Tony Jenkins, in-coming Chair of the Orlando Economic Partnership, and market president of Florida Blue’s Central Florida Region.
“Our community will forever be impacted by their work and changed by their leadership,” said Tony Jenkins, in-coming Chair of the Orlando Economic Partnership, and market president of Florida Blue’s Central Florida Region.
The James B. Greene Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Partnership to a local community leader. The James B. Greene Award, first presented in 1990, recognizes an individual whose work has contributed substantially to the economic prosperity of the region. Past recipients include Harris Rosen, president and COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, William T. Dymond, CEO and president of Lowndes, and Alex Martins, CEO of the Orlando Magic, to name a few from the awards 30+ year history.
The Annual dinner is attended by hundreds of Orlando region business and community leaders. For more information e-mail Events@Orlando.org or call 407.422.7159 ext. 286.
