GEORGIA LORENZ

PRESIDENT, SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, SANFORD

Seminole State College of Florida serves more than 22,000 in Central Florida, offering bachelor’s and associate degrees in high-demand fields, GED completion, specialized certificates and continuing education. The state college is a founding partner in the DirectConnect to the University of Central Florida's guaranteed admission program. Lorenz has been president for seven years. Seminole State was named a top ten finalist for the 2025 Aspen Institute College Excellence Prize, putting it in the top 1% of community and state colleges nationally. Committed to helping foster youth, Lorenz has served on the board of directors for First Place for Youth and is the current chair of the board for IMPOWER, a nonprofit that provides a range of mental health services and support to youth and their families in Central Florida.

EDUCATION: Stanford University (BA), Northwestern University (MS), University of Southern California (Ph.D.)

FIRST JOB: Working as an administrative assistant in a medical office.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: A veterinarian

SOMETHING SURPRISING: I was a synchronized swimmer for 15 years — from age 7 through my college years. …. My first leadership role was as team captain of my 10-and-under team, and I was captain seven times throughout my swimming career.