Event Overview

Inspired by the April series with Condoleezza Rice, this special Winter Park Institute evening brings the community together to explore women’s advancement, empowerment, and leadership in action. The program will focus on how women leaders shape institutions, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful progress across Central Florida.

The evening will feature a panel conversation with Dr. Georgia Lorenz, President of Seminole State College, Nekeshia Woods, Managing Partner of Parkway Venture Capital, and Wendy Walker, past president of Leadership Florida. The discussion will be moderated by Heather Harris of Orlando Health and a Winter Park Institute board member. After the discussion attendees will hear a special speech by Sarah Feely of Compassionate Leaders Circle on compassionate leadership and the power of leading with purpose, courage, and heart.

Winter Park Institute will also announce a new community initiative during the evening, funded in part by a portion of ticket sales from the April speaker series. It will be a night devoted to moving beyond inspiration and toward meaningful local impact.

Speaker Bios

Dr. Georgia Lorenz
President of Seminole State College

Dr. Georgia Lorenz became the third president of Seminole State College of Florida on Aug. 1, 2018, ushering in a new era. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education she has continued to build on Seminole State’s incredible legacy.

Under her leadership, Seminole State was named among the top 10 community and state colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute in 2025 and has become eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement among America’s community colleges.

Dr. Lorenz serves as chair of the Florida College System Council of Presidents, and her transformative leadership has earned numerous accolades. She is a Florida Trend Florida 500 honoree hailed as one of the state’s most influential executives in education. She has been honored as one of Orlando Magazine’s 2025 Women of the Year and 50 Most Powerful People in Education. She also was named one of Orlando Business Journal’s 2023 Women Who Mean Business, which recognizes female leaders for their contributions to business success, workforce development and community advancement in Central Florida. She received the Phi Theta Kappa Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction and the Golden Eagle Award for Seminole County from the Central Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

In 2021, Dr. Lorenz was selected as one of 25 community college presidents for the 2021-22 class of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship, which supports new presidents in the early years of their tenure as they aim to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success. She also was recognized by Orlando Business Journal as a 2021 CEO of the Year for her leadership in the College’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic; in launching a then-new strategic plan for the College; and for Seminole State’s Excellence and Equity in Community College STEM Award from the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Siemens Foundation.

Aligning with Seminole State’s purpose, “Your Learning Partner for Career Success,” Dr. Lorenz is leading the College forward under a new strategic plan, Impact 2030, with three overarching goals:

For our students: Be the best choice for learners throughout their career
For our employees: Cultivate a collaborative and innovative environment where employees are a priority. For our region: Drive regional progress through strategic partnerships and community engagement
Prior to joining Seminole State, Dr. Lorenz served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Santa Monica College (SMC) in California. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Administration at USC, where she received the Delta Epsilon Dissertation Award of Merit. She holds a Master of Science in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University.

Dr. Lorenz is an alumna of Leadership Seminole and contributes her time and talent serving on the boards of multiple organizations, including Heart of Florida United Way, Association of Florida Colleges, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, and Orlando Economic Partnership, among others. Supporting a cause near to her heart, she has participated in community service to benefit foster youth and help them transition to successful, self-sustaining adulthood. She also is past chair and serves on the board of IMPOWER, which includes The Village program. The program offers safe, affordable housing combined with comprehensive wraparound supports for homeless and former foster youth ages 18-24. In addition to serving their community, Dr. Lorenz and her husband, Mike, enjoy engaging with the Central Florida community and experiencing all Florida has to offer.

Nekeshia Woods
Parkway Venture Capital Managing Partner

Nekeshia Woods is a Managing Partner at Parkway Venture Capital. Nekeshia joined Parkway from Morgan Stanley, where she led portfolio strategy and focused on business management initiatives for the Private Wealth Management business. Prior to joining the Private Wealth Management team at Morgan Stanley, Ms. Woods served as the Engagement and Adoption Lead for Morgan Stanley Online and the Financial Advisor Collaboration tools.

Before joining Morgan Stanley, Ms. Woods was Head of Strategy at Artivest, a Fintech start-up, where she focused on expansion into new customer segments within the Wealth Management and Asset Management sectors. Leading up to Ms. Woods’ time at Artivest, she held leadership roles with a primary focus on business growth opportunities and digital efficiencies while at BlackRock, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Booz Allen Hamilton, and IBM.

Ms. Woods started her career in politics where she first worked as an intern at the White House for George W. Bush and later served as a political appointee in the White House Liaison Office for the Department of Homeland Security. Ms. Woods holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a J.D. from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.

Wendy Walker
Past Leadership Florida President

Wendy served as president of Leadership Florida for 28 years, retiring in 2017. She serves on the South City Foundation’s Board of Directors, the United Way of the Big Bend, the State College Foundation, and WFSU’s Community Advisory Board. She is married to Dr. Tom Haney, and has two daughters, Beth and Julia, and a brilliant seven year old grandson, Luke.

Sarah Feely
Compassionate Leaders Circle

Sarah’s role at Compassionate Leaders Circle is to help organizations align their business strategy to their people strategy, empowering each individual to love their work. Sarah’s passion is to help individuals at all career levels discover their authentic selves and find meaning at work. She has earned a Masters of Science in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and is a certified executive and organizational coach. Before joining CLC, Sarah spent ten years in recruiting and talent advisory roles at Korn Ferry. Then, she took on a client advisory role, supporting several of the firm’s largest global Life Sciences clients. This role spanned assessment and succession strategy, culture and digital transformation, and leadership development initiatives. Sarah lives in Dallas with her husband and three young children.

Sarah Feely
Compassionate Leaders Circle

Sarah’s role at Compassionate Leaders Circle is to help organizations align their business strategy to their people strategy, empowering each individual to love their work. Sarah’s passion is to help individuals at all career levels discover their authentic selves and find meaning at work. She has earned a Masters of Science in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and is a certified executive and organizational coach. Before joining CLC, Sarah spent ten years in recruiting and talent advisory roles at Korn Ferry. Then, she took on a client advisory role, supporting several of the firm’s largest global Life Sciences clients. This role spanned assessment and succession strategy, culture and digital transformation, and leadership development initiatives. Sarah lives in Dallas with her husband and three young children.

Heather Harris
Orlando Health

Heather is the Assistant Vice President of Talent Strategy at Orlando Health. She is also a board member of the Winter Park Institute.