In Florida, Women Are Taking Charge

Rebekah with Dr. Maria Vazquez, the superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in Florida

In Orlanda, Florida, women are taking charge. Increasingly, one sees women in leadership roles in schools, government, and business. In the 2013 issue of Orlando Magazine, only 12 women were featured on the list of the city’s 50 most powerful people. By 2024, that number had risen to 24. 

Today, in the Orange County Public Schools, all eight board members are women. Even the superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez, is a woman. But, Vazquez says, there is still work to be done. “In the field of education,” she told me, “where the majority of teachers are women, you wouldn’t think that a male-dominated workplace would be an issue. But it is. As you move into administrative roles, and even the superintendency, there are more men than women in those roles.”

The same is true in the Florida legislature. Although many women are now serving in elected office, the majority of the state’s leaders are men. Former United States Representative Val Demings hopes that will change. In 2023, I asked her about her life in public service. Demings represented Florida’s 10th Congressional District from 2017 until 2023. Before that, she was chief of the Orlando Police Department.

When asked what she enjoyed most about her career, Demings said, “Talking to people about things that matter to them.” As chief of the Orlando Police Department, she relished her responsibility to protect the community. “Making sure that we created a city where people were safe,” she said, “was my Number One job, and I loved it.”

Rebekah pictured with former U.S. Representative Val Demings of Florida in 2023 

KEEPING VIEWERS INFORMED

Demings suggested that I talk with a reporter to learn about the role of women in media. I decided to interview Lisa Bell, a news anchor for WKMG-TV, a CBS affiliate in Orlando. I asked Bell why she decided to become a reporter.

“When I was growing up,” she said, “I watched the news. When I was thinking about what type of career I would want, I wanted to do something where I would always be doing something different. So I thought being in the news would be a good job for me.”

As one of two women hosting a nightly news program, Bell informs the community about issues that affect them. A crucial part of that is reporting on area schools.

“What happens in our schools affects our entire society,” she said. “We need to pay close attention to our kids—what they’re learning and what’s happening in their schools.”

Rebekah with Lisa Bell, a news anchor in Orlando