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