THE ROTARY CLUB OF ORLANDO SPEAKER FORUM

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

Originally from Pennsylvania, JoAnn has a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from Penn State University and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. She began her career as an engineer with AT&T Microelectronics in Allentown, PA and relocated to Orlando in 1989 with AT&T. When she left the corporation in 2003, she had risen to the position of Vice President of Manufacturing with responsibility for a staff of 650. She joined the Orlando Scie

Scott Howat has served Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) for over 30 years, currently as Chief Communications Officer and President of the Foundation for OCPS. A former teacher and administrator, he has held leadership roles in legislative affairs, student enrollment, and district negotiations. Howat was honored alongside global brands such as Mastercard, NFL, Nissan, McDonald’s, Adobe, and Dove at the Public Relations News Awards in New York City. He and his wife, Catherin