Networking Opportunities
Women Moving Forward is a program preparing women for leadership roles in higher education. One component is linkages with community organizations so women can develop their leadership skills, build community contacts, and find connections with other leaders to advance the College and their own careers.
This list highlights the organizations, their purpose in the community, the key contact with the organization if Seminole State employees want further information, the College contact who is managing the relationship with the organization, and the ways in which women can connect.
- Key contact: Dr. Lisa Jones, State Chair
- College contact: Dr. Lisa Valentino
- The College is a member institution. Ways to connect:
- Support Women Moving Forward! This program is a College initiative wrapped around the ACE programs aimed at developing women as senior leaders.
- Participate in Coffee and Conversations with Presidential Sponsors, virtually.
- Join the Virtual Book Club when it is offered.
- Key contacts: Dr. Lisa Valentino and Dr. Jan Lloyd-Lesley
- College contacts: Dr. Lisa Valentino and Dr. Jan Lloyd-Lesley
- This is a College program. Ways to connect:
- Attend Convocation panel on Seminole State leaders’ career paths.
- Attend Kickoff event: networking, familiarization with ACE Women's Network-Florida, leadership training, and plans for future programming.
- Support the book clubs for the year.
- Attend the Women's Leadership Conference.
- Attend career-building workshops and join in the planning for building additional skills.
- College contact: Marcus Williams
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Watch for emails about activities, if you are a Career Service employee.
- Share your comments, suggestions, and concerns with the Council before each semester’s Exchange of Views with the College leadership.
- Bring the mission to life: Communicate, Support, Engage, and Collaborate.
- College contact: Tracy Harbin
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Watch for emails about activities, if you are a faculty member.
- Step up during departmental/area elections or seek member-at-large status.
- If elected, represent Faculty Senate on College Standing Committees as well as officer positions and committees within Faculty Senate.
- College contact: Barbara Coleman-Foster
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Watch for emails about activities, if you are a Professional or Technical staff member.
- Communicate topics of organizational interest and concern.
- Promote professional development that will provide opportunities to achieve and maintain the highest level of professional competence.
- Join the Board or volunteer as the PTEC representative to various College committees.
- College contact: Chair of the Standing Committee “Committee to Coordinate Standing Committees,” Jessica Boevers
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Check out Procedure 1.0900 to learn about the Standing Committees for the College.
- Watch for the annual survey in March inviting employees to indicate interest in Standing Committee members; write a quick note about each committee of interest.
- Represent your area and get involved with Committee activities to develop leadership skills.
- College contact: Mae Ashby
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Complete an application as requested.
- If selected, participate in eight all-day leadership development sessions. The learning opportunities help participants better understand our College and its context within higher education and the community at large.
- Key contact: Mae Ashby
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Complete Leadership Academy.
- Leadership Academy alumni: focus on personal growth and collaboration at roundtable sessions and other activities.
- College contact: Mae Ashby
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Complete the College's required training, including prevention of sexual harassment and understanding unconscious bias.
- Attend new employee orientation and training on Microsoft applications, College policies and safety procedures, and skills for supervisors.
- Consider earning a Professional Development Certificate.
- Access your choice of 5,000 online courses: business courses, environmental health and safety, information technology, customer service, harassment prevention, among many others.
- College contact: Barbara Coleman-Foster
- This is a Seminole State initiative. Ways to connect:
- Attend workshops
- Read the newsletters
- Join a book discussion
- Key contact: Gaby Ortigoni, President
- College contact: Janet Balanoff
- The College is a Trustee. Ways to connect:
- Business After Hours
- Special events for Trustees
- Annual Hispanic Business Conference
- Key contact: Tanisha Nunn Gary, President
- College contact: Janet Balanoff
- The College is a Bronze Corporate sponsor. Ways to connect:
- Business After Hours
- Special events for Bronze and higher-level sponsors
- Eagle Awards gala (January)
- College contact: Arlene Gonzalez
- This is an initiative of the Florida College System with a Seminole State chapter. Ways to connect:
- Participate in professional development and networking conferences (dues-paying members – dues are determined by annual salary).
- Read and contribute to the quarterly newsletter.
- Serve at the College level on our chapter’s board, at the region level as a director, or at the state-wide level on a commission or on the Board of Directors.
- College contact: Janet Balanoff
- The College partners with these local businesswomen and educators. Ways to connect:
- Appreciate them as scholarship donors.
- Coordinate their appearance as speakers at Diversity Workshops.
- Volunteer to lead one-hour sessions at their Saturday morning academies, monthly, for high school males and high school females. Topics: financial literacy, preparing for college, business etiquette, ethics, employment, civic engagement.
- Attend annual Scholarship Gala
- Key contact: Bridget Lake
- The College maintains a relationship with this Chamber [Oviedo Winter Springs Chamber of Commerce] and others in Seminole County. Ways to connect:
- Join the Chamber or attend as a guest.
- Attend lunch-and-learns.
- Participate in the OBN luncheons, second Wednesday of the month at Tuscawilla Country Club. Exchange information, share contacts, and provide a support system for professional women within the Chamber’s service area.
Equity and Diversity/Title IX, 2.1.19, 4.20.21