Speakers
Dr. Barbara Jenkins has been dedicated to serving the needs of students for more than 25 years. She was named superintendent for Orange County Public Schools in 2012.
Under Dr. Jenkins' leadership, the district won the 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education. The prize earned half-a-million dollars for student scholarships from the prestigious Broad Foundation. The district also received the Governors Sterling Award in 2014 and again in 2015. The award is highly regarded for its recognition of organizations that exemplify performance excellence in Florida. Also, for three of the last five years, OCPS was named to the AP District Honor Roll by the College Board, for increasing access to Advanced Placement course work, while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams.
As the former deputy superintendent for Orange County, Jenkins served as the superintendent's designee and oversaw five area superintendents and the division of Teaching and Learning. In her prior tenure as Chief of Staff, she also oversaw Human Resources, Public Relations, Labor Relations, Strategic Planning, and served as the chief negotiator for the district.
Dr. Jenkins is serving as president of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents for school year 2015-16. In 2014, she was named the Visionary Award recipient by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council and the Central Florida Woman of the Year by the Womens Executive Council.
Recognized for her commitment and influence, both the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Magazine have recognized her as one of the 10 most powerful people in Central Florida; Orlando Magazine ranked her number five in 2015, up from number 10 in 2014. In November 2015, the Orlando Business Journal honored her as a 2015 CEO of the Year.
Deeply engaged in the community, Dr. Jenkins serves on the boards of the United Arts of Central Florida, Winter Park Health Foundation, Economic Development Commission, Central Florida Regional Commission on Homelessness, and Orange County Youth Mental Health Commission.