Orlando Southwest - Issue #3 (May 2020)

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OFM_SuperWomen_0520FINAL_SJM Feature 4 / 22 / 20 5 : 07 PM Page 3 2020 SUPERWOMEN Karen Willis Nicole Warren Since 2007 , Willis has been leading the charge in A trained dancer since age 5 , Warren wanted to share her love of the art form with those who may not regularly have the chance to Orange County to give every child access to early education . As CEO strut their stuff . Recognizing the immense benefits that dance can have , of the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County — an organization that including cognitive , emotional , social and physical development , Warren aims to connect families and preschool pro - founded Chance 2 Dance grams to resources that provide every child in May 2016 . In the few with equal educational opportunities — Willis years since its inception , leads a staff of more than 50 and works to the organization has pro - invest over $ 71 million in state , federal and vided dance and perfor - local funding to benefit Orange County’s mance opportunities to youngest citizens . Prior to joining Orange the special needs and dis - County’s coalition , Willis served as executive abled community . To director for the Early Learning Coalition of date , more than 2,400 Seminole County . In 2012 , she was inducted children and adults alike into the Florida Family Child Care Home have taken part in the spe - Association Advocate Hall of Fame . Willis cialized in - studio and on - serves as chair emeritus of the Central Florida Regional Committee for the site dance classes . In 2018 , Children’s Movement of Florida and is a member of the Orange County Warren helped design and League of Women Voters , Women’s Executive Council , the Association of build the state’s first sen - Early Learning Coalitions and a number of area chambers of commerce . sory - friendly dance studio and then followed that up Susan Hietpas by forming Florida’s first While her day job may be in commercial real estate , the competitive special needs truth is Hietpas is always on the clock . That’s because whenever she has a performance dance team , free moment , she is spending it furthering the mission of Simply which has been recognized Amazing , a nonprofit she founded after her ith various awards and w daughter Emily passed away in 2017 from a accolades . Currently , Warren serves as secretary for the Dance Masters of fentanyl overdose . Inspired by Emily’s love Florida Chapter No . 2 and is active throughout the community of arts and crafts along with her kind - natured including working on the Central Florida Arts and Wellness Task Force . soul , Simply Amazing provides at - risk youth and those living in foster care with boxes full of art and other supplies designed to stimu - Maria Shorkey late individual creativity and provide a sense As chief operating officer for the Orlando campus of of inspiration and empowerment . Giving Covenant House Florida , Shorkey is a voice for local youth who back is nothing new for Hietpas , in fact it are experiencing homelessness . The Covenant House Florida provides has long been a way of life . She previously housing and services , such as assistance worked at Trinity Preparatory School in the with gaining education and employ - advancement office for more than a decade , assisting with fundraising and ment , to homeless youth at two volunteer management , and she continues to make an impact throughout campuses , one in Orlando and the area thanks to various speaking engagements that allow her to share the other in Tallahassee . At the Emily’s story and the importance of community involvement . Orlando campus , Shorkey works to obtain financial sup - Heather Wilkie port for the Covenant’s life - For the past four years , Wilkie has been working hard saving programs by cultivating to give the area’s LGBTQ + youth a safe space to go for help relationships with community when they need it . As executive director for the Zebra Coalition , she leads a partners and local donors , all team that provides resources and support to while making sure that the non - young LGBTQ + people who are facing every - profit lives up to its thing from homelessness to isolation from mission of their families to abuse , with the hope of pro - protecting and viding these youth some needed stability . safeguarding all Wilkie has a total of 17 years of experience in youth in need . community service and leadership in the non - She has been profit sector . Prior to her work at the Zebra with Covenant Coalition , she served as chief operating officer House Florida for Harbor House of Central Florida , one of since 2004 . the largest and most comprehensive domestic abuse organizations in the United States . She has been honored for her community contributions including being named Harbor House of Central Florida’s Champion of Equality . 28 ORLANDO FAMILY may 2020 ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM

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OFM_SuperWomen_0520FINAL_SJM Feature 4 / 22 / 20 5 : 13 PM Page 4 Megan Rose Rosene Johnson This Mobile , Ala . native arrived in Orlando in 2004 and In her position as executive director of Pace Center for joined the Junior League of Greater Orlando five years later . Since then , Girls in Winter Park , Johnson is instrumental in helping adolescent Rose has worked in various capacities within the organization , including girls , ages 11 to 18 , realize their full potential . The youth program pro - serving as vice president of vides educational and mental health counseling services as alternative community , vice president of means to institutionalization fundraising , executive vice or incarceration for girls . president and now currently as Along the way , Johnson’s president . She relishes having career has had many high - the opportunity to serve as a lights including the forma - mentor to area women and tion of several strategic part - takes pride in being able to nerships to help raise guide them to become future funding in excess of $ 2 mil - civic leaders . By providing lion and she had a direct them with the tools necessary hand in overseeing a project to become successful agents of to create a 15,000 - square - change in the community , she foot facility for individuals is working hard to ensure that with disabilities while gar - the organization’s legacy that nering more than a quarter has been built up over the past of a million dollars in com - 70 years will continue to be a munity support . She is also positive influence for decades to come . Rose has also served as treasurer an active consultant with the for Leadership Florida and currently uses her 17 years of experience in Orange County school real estate and hospitality to lead a global team in finance and system and other area youth accounting for Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation . service organizations as well as a published author and researcher in the child development field . All of this led her to being appointed by former Gov . Rick Scott to serve on the Valencia College Noelle Moore board of trustees . Seven years ago , Moore experienced something no mother should ever have to go through : the death of a child . The loss of her daughter , Finley , as a result of medical malpractice was beyond difficult , but Moore was determined to find a way to help Sherry Wheelock other grieving mothers find peace . As a result , she created The Finley To say Wheelock has given her heart and soul to Project — the nation’s only seven - part holistic program helping mothers Special Olympics Florida would be an understatement . After after infant loss — in her late daughter’s spending five years on the organization’s board of directors , she was honor . Since then , the organization named president and CEO and worked to expand the program from has enrolled and supported nearly $ 8 million to $ 20 million while introducing groundbreaking compet - 220 families and has been nation - itive and health opportuni - ally recognized for its innovation ties across the Sunshine in grief , loss and bereavement . State . Her guidance has In addition to her efforts with helped the organization The Finley Project , Moore sits grow 173 % and welcome on the board of the Winter Park more than 60,000 athletes . YMCA and she is a founding She has also been a key member of the Pregnancy figure in helping Special and Infant Loss Resource Olympics Florida imple - Network of Central ment unified programs for Florida . Further - those with and without more , she is active intellectual disabilities in with the Winter schools statewide . Thanks Park Chamber to her desire to push the of Commerce organization forward , it and the Rotary won the bid to host the Club of Lake 2022 Special Olympics Mary . In 2019 , USA Games . Wheelock she was awarded was also recently re - appointed to the Governor’s Commission . She the Paula works with Volunteer Florida and has received numerous awards and Hawkins Life - recognition . Previously the vice president and treasurer of Universal time Achieve - Orlando , she’s served on the boards of the Make - A - Wish Foundation ment Award for of Central and North Florida and the Universal Orlando Foundation . her tireless efforts . ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM may 2020 ORLANDO FAMILY 29

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