Barbara Jenkins
Barbara Jenkins, Ed.D., has been serving the needs of students for 30 years. She was named superintendent for Orange County Public Schools in 2012. Under her leadership, the district won the 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education. The district also received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2014 and 2015 and the Sustained Excellence Award in 2017 for exemplary performance using research-based best practices in business.
Dr. Jenkins is nationally recognized. She received a presidential appointment as a director of the National Board of Education Sciences. She serves on the executive boards of the Council of the Great City Schools, Chiefs for Change, The Wall Street Journal CEO Council, and the Florida Council of 100. She is past president of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and was the Florida Superintendent of the Year. The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents named her Hispanic-Serving School District Superintendent of the Year, and the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education named her CTE Superintendent of the Year.
Dr. Jenkins serves on various community boards including the United Arts of Central Florida, Orlando Economic Partnership, Florida Hospital, Central Florida Regional Commission on Homelessness, and the Orange County Youth Mental Health Commission.