With public lectures and readings, the Winter Park Institute hosts influential people from a broad spectrum of disciplines and expertise. This exchange of ideas is designed to encourage enlightened ongoing conversation and to enhance an educated citizenry who, through civic discourse and debate, fosters and strengthens an ongoing democratic society.
MISSION STATEMENT: Convening the community around the arts, science, humanities, and literature.
VISION STATEMENT: A place for people to learn and embrace big ideas.
VOLUNTEER NOW: Email [email protected]
The Winter Park Institute has moved from its home for twelve years at Rollins College to become an independent 501(c)(3) non profit to present programs for the City of Winter Park and beyond at its new Library & Events Center campus. As a freestanding public charity, the Institute is dependent upon the generosity of corporate, institutional and individual patronage for support.
WINTER PARK INSTITUTE BOARD MEMBERS
TONY JENKINS, CHAIRMAN
Tony Jenkins is Market President for Florida Blue, Central Florida region. He was instrumental in establishing Florida Blue’s diversity efforts starting in 2001. He is on the board of Florida Citrus Sports and is a trustee at Stetson University.
LAUREN ZIMMERMAN, CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lauren Zimmerman is the owner of Writer’s Block Bookstore located in Winter Park and Winter Garden. She has backgrounds in interior design, law and social work. Lauren is currently a Trustee of the Winter Park Public Library.
CYNTHIA WOOD, VICE CHAIR
Cynthia Wood is retired Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Rollins College. She currently serves as an advisor to individuals and non profit organizations on strategic philanthropy. Cynthia served as Interim Executive Director of the Winter Park Public Library during its building campaign.
LAWRENCE LYMAN, SECRETARY
Lawrence Lyman is a government affairs and public relations consultant who is currently the Managing Partner and Vice President, Business Development and Government Relations of Tactical Electronics Corporation. He is former President of Winter Park Public Library Board of Trustees.
TOM DYER
Tom Dyer is the founder of Watermark, the LGBT newspaper serving Orlando and Tampa Bay since 1994. He is also a practicing attorney with Dyer & Blaisdell, PL. In 2014, he was named a “Champion of Equality” by the Harvey Milk Foundation.
GERALD HECTOR
Gerald Hector is Sr. Vice President for Administration and Finance at UCF. He is a licensed CPA. Gerald’s experience spans all aspects of higher education management including purchasing, financial aid and risk management.
CALEB LIPTAK
Caleb Liptak is a Senior PR Manager at Findsome & Winmore in Winter Park. He secures high quality media coverage for his clients while supervising and managing his team. He also leads clients through brand visioning exercises to help them better understand what they do.
STOCKTON REEVES
Stockton Reeves is the Executive Director of the Center for Public Safety which works with the first responders providing spatial needs and staffing studies. He currently serves on the Civil Service Board. He is a third-generation Winter Park resident.
ERICKA DUNLAP
Ericka Dunlap is the CEO and Principal Consultant of Crown Communication Group, a PR Firm dedicated to improving brand relationships and reputations. A dynamic performer, Ericka is a very active supporter of the Arts and also serves on several boards as a trusted advisor. She is currently Board Chair for the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation.
DAWN OFODILE
Dawn Ofodile is the Assistant Vice President of Regional Community Engagement at VyStar Credit Union where she oversees the organization’s community partnerships throughout Central Florida. She is instrumental in identifying community needs, establishing relationships with key stakeholders, and deploying VyStar’s resources to “Do Good” in the places its members call home. Dawn is a Winter Park transplant and currently serves on the board of several local organizations.
LINDA WARREN
Linda Warren is a 37-year Disney veteran who rose to Executive Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. She later worked as CMO for Talisker Mountain Inc. before earning a B.A.S. in Interior Design and founding Modern Moon Designs, where she now works on projects for friends and family.
Core Values:
Strategic Priorities:
History
The Institute was founded in 2007 by Rollins College through the leadership of then-President Lewis Duncan to promote liberal education. It was modeled after earlier programs.
The organization was supported by a generous donation from longtime trustee Allan Keen and also the Charles Hosmer Morse and Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation. The first director, Dr. Gail Sinclair, built the Institute into a community treasure by attracting superior, extraordinary presenters.
Rollins divested itself of the Institute in 2020 during COVID and entrusted it to the Winter Park Publishing Company. In 2021, the Institute became an IRS 501(c)(3) corporation under Randy Robinson… In early 2022, leadership transferred to Lauren Zimmerman, who along with a new Board, represents the diverse Central Florida community.
Development & Funding Goals: Some of the fundraising and marketing strategies our organization is going to take into consideration include:
The Winter Park Institute has moved from its home for twelve years at Rollins College to become an independent 501(c)(3) non profit to present programs for the City of Winter Park and beyond at its new Library & Events Center campus. As a freestanding public charity, the Institute is dependent upon the generosity of corporate, institutional and individual patronage for support.
Serving as home to the Winter Park Institute, patrons are invited to free events inside the Library and featured speakers in the adjacent Events Center.
The Institute was founded in 2007 by Rollins College through the leadership of then-president Lewis Duncan following a third college-sponsored Colloquy on Liberal Education and Social Responsibility (the first two were in 1930 and 1997).
The new organization was supported by a generous donation from longtime trustee Allan E. Keen and the Charles Hosmer Morse and Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundations, both through a grant and by providing use of the historic Osceola Lodge as headquarters. The first executive director was Dr. Gail Sinclair, who built the fledgling Institute into a community treasure by attracting season after season of extraordinary presenters, including primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, filmmaker Ken Burns, director Oliver Stone, cellist Itzhak Perlman, activist Gloria Steinem, pop music legend Paul McCartney, former two-term U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins (also the Institute’s Senior Distinguished Fellow) and dozens more.
Rollins divested itself of the Institute in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and entrusted it to Winter Park Publishing Company, publishers of Winter Park Magazine. The company held several virtual events while in-person gatherings were prohibited, but all the while sought a community partner who could return the Institute to its lofty stature when the pandemic receded. In 2021 Winter Park Institute secured its independant nonprofit status as a 501c3 under Robertson. In 2022 leadership was then transferred to Lauren Zimmerman, who is currently working with a team of board members to bring the 2022-2023 event season to life, restoring the Institute as cultural and intellectual jewel in Winter Park’s crown.