THE ROTARY CLUB OF ORLANDO SPEAKER FORUM

Mark Tester is the Orange County Convention Center's (OCCC) Executive Director. Since joining the OCCC in 2020, he has successfully led...

Our skyline isn’t the only thing growing downtown. Our team is too! Meet Sherry Gutch, Director of Placemaking. While new to her role,...

Dick has been a Rotarian since 2004 and currently is a member of the Rotary Club of Orlando. He has served in a number of club and...

Bob O’Malley is Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP). Prior to joining OEP, Bob...

Born in Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada, Paarsch is Professor of Business Analytics at the University of Central Florida. From 2011...

Justin Zimmerman, is an Aquarium Supervisor at SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from...

Since 2006, Steve Hogan (UCF '91) has served as the CEO at Florida Citrus Sports (FCS), a 501(c)3 event management company based at...

Steffan Davis is a fundraising professional with a diverse background in nonprofit development and philanthropy. He has held key...

Dr. Sharon Tucker is the new Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida and is leading the nationally recognized...

Brian Hutchings is the Senior Manager of Community Relations for the Central Florida Expressway Authority, with the primary...

Jason Siegel is currently in his ninth year as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GO Sports!). GO Sports serves one of the largest sports tourism regions in the country and drives economic impact for the City of Orlando, and Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. Prior to joining the Sports Commission, Siegel spent five years as Managing Partner and CEO of the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). Siegel served as Vice President of Sale

Eddy Moratin is the president of Lift Orlando, a movement of business leaders working with residents and community partners to achieve...

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) Board named Lance Lyttle as the Chief Executive Officer of The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board effective in April of 2025. He oversees the operations at Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport. Prior to coming to Orlando Lyttle, was the Managing Director of Aviation for Seattle-Tacoma Airport. As the new CEO he will lead the multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program aimed at enhancing both airpo

The story of No Child Hungry starts in the mountains of Haiti. While on a medical mission trip to the poorest country in the western hemisphere, our founder, William Lowry, watched as three children in the remote location died of starvation, all within a week. These children, ages 4-7, suffered an unimaginable end to their far-too-short lives. It was then and there that William knew he had to focus his efforts on providing food to children in need. Three words entered his

Norman L. Miller was the U.S. Olympic Bobsled coach at the 1987 Olympic Trials in Winterberg, West Germany and at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, in 1988. Two teams he coached during the 1987 World Cup circuit earned gold medals. He has first-hand experience on racing bobsleds as an athlete, competing in two Olympic trials. He is retired from the U.S. Air Force with 33 years’ experience. While in the position as an Olympic bobsled coach he was recruited to do undercover

Brooke Barnett is the 16 th 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 se

Tom Moore is a seasoned demographer with over three decades of experience in public sector planning and student enrollment management. He has served Orange County Public Schools since January 2007, where he currently leads strategic enrollment forecasting and demographic analysis within the Student Enrollment division. Prior to his tenure in Orange County, Mr. Moore held dual roles at Broward County Public Schools for six years, serving as both the District Demographer and Di

Jennifer Evins leads the regional arts community across Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties,overseeing a budget of $18 million. She guides a team of 24 professionals and supports more than 100 arts, science and history organizations and artists. With more than 25 years of experience, she joined United Arts in 2021, after serving as president and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, south Carolina. She serves on the boards of; The Orlando Economic Partne

Mark Hendelson worked for over 38 years with the Social Security Administration, helping seniors and individuals with disabilities navigate complex programs. Upon retiring three years ago, he established his consulting company, YOUR Social Security Pro, He also serves as a senior volunteer with AARP, leading seminars and hosting educational forums on Social Security and Medicare. Additionally, he works with the Association of Mature American Citizens in Leesburg, where he hos

Kristian Steele is the Visitor Operations Manager at the Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida. He received his BA and MA in History at the University of Central Florida, where he has taught Western Civilization and American History since 2016. He has worked in museums for over 15 years and maintains a teaching focus on the 19 th -century United States in a global context. At the Morse, he heads several departments and is responsible for the holistic experience

Dr. Phillips Center recently celebrated a major milestone: its 10-year anniversary. Since opening, the arts center has hosted 6,500-plus events, welcomed over 5.3 million guests and invested more than $24.4 million into purpose-driven programming. Another game-changer was the launch of Judson’s Live, a music room that hosted 434 performances in its first year across 34 different musical genres, which has become a hub for emerging local talent. “These achievements reflect gro

Michael S. Repass is the Chief Executive Officer for Able Global Solutions LLC which he founded in 2013 after retiring from the Army. AGS focuses on international business development to match emerging technology and proven products with potential clients. AGS also examines trends and environments for strategic perspectives. Mike Repass’ military career began in 1980 upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. He served an infantry officer

Todd Andrus has been in the hospitality marketing field for over 26 years across a variety of attractions including FECs, Theme Parks, Water Parks and Aquariums. In his most recent role at Premier Parks as the Corporate Senior Director he led marketing strategy, strategic partnerships and marketing support for 14 parks and attractions across the US & Canada. Prior to joining Premier Parks, Todd was the Head of Brand Marketing for Merlin Entertainments in North America. There

Mike Miller is the VP of External Affairs and Workforce Integration. He plays a vital role in advocating for the mission of Space Florida both in Tallahassee and Washington, DC. Mike is also tasked with guiding the organization to access and enhance the skilled labor force in Florida through partnerships with the Department of Education and companies seeking to relocate to Florida or expand their current operations in the state. Mr. Miller has a bachelor’s degree in Ameri

David Barilla is the Executive Director for the City of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board and Community Redevelopment Agency, where he has spent the past 15 years advancing transformational public-private partnerships and driving billions of dollars in investment into downtown Orlando’s residential, mixed-use, hospitality, and entertainment sectors. His leadership has helped double the urban core population, expand world-class venues, and advance catalytic projects such as

Dr. Melanie Guldi is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida in the College of Business. She is a native Floridian who received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Economics from the University of Florida in 1995. She then earned a Master of Arts in Economics from Michigan State University in 1999. Dr. Guldi worked in the residential loan industry in Tucson, Arizona and then in the securities and corporate bond industry in Lo

Michelle grew up in Oklahoma. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, married her husband Don and traveled the world during his 22 years of service in the U.S. Army. Their final duty station was Orlando, Florida, and they settled in Central Florida in 2004. Michelle taught a variety of subjects at Circle Christian School during her 19 years on staff there. She discovered C127 through her local church and began serving as a care community team lead

Dr. Joel Hunter is a prominent community leader, pastor and bridge-builder, who seeks common ground for the common good. He is the Pastor of Community Benefit at Action Church and the Chairman of the Central Florida Pledge campaign, a call to action for residents of Central Florida who are tired of hateful discourse and want to create a safe and inclusive community for all. The pledge asks residents to commit to treating all people with kindness and respect, especially those

Andres Käosaar is a doctoral candidate at UCF, an ocean rower, and an adventurer. Over the past 7 years, he has been researching teamwork in extreme contexts, including space and polar regions. Driven by his research interests, in December 2025, he embarked on an Atlantic Ocean rowing race, aiming to cross the 3000-mile-long course with his three team members from Estonia. They successfully crossed the ocean, being the 15th boat of the 43 that crossed the starting line, and t

Prof. Debashis Chanda is a Professor, jointly appointed with NanoScience Technology Center, Dept. of Physics and College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), University of Central Florida (UCF). Dr. Chanda received his PhD from University of Toronto. His PhD work was recognized in the form of several awards, including prestigious National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) fellowship. Quite a few of this research works were extensively covered by National Science