50 Most Powerful People 2026: Ones to Watch

Serita Beamon 

Superintendent, Seminole County Public Schools

Beamon leads more than 58,000 students and approximately 6,500 employees while navigating declining enrollment, budget pressures and growing expectations for public education. Seminole County Public Schools earned another A rating in 2026—its 20^th in 21 years—strengthening Beamon’s position as one of the region’s most consequential education leaders. 

Tiffany Homler Hawkins

Chief Executive Officer, LYNX

Hawkins leads Central Florida’s regional transit authority as population growth, congestion and workforce needs make reliable public transportation increasingly important. Her more than two decades of experience with or alongside LYNX give her the institutional knowledge to modernize the system and strengthen connections among the region’s expanding employment centers.

Patrick Goddard

Chief Executive Officer, Brightline Florida

Goddard helped deliver Brightline’s $2.7 billion expansion to Orlando, restoring privately operated intercity passenger rail between Central and South Florida. With future stations planned in Stuart and Cocoa and ambitions to connect Orlando with Tampa, his decisions could continue changing how residents and visitors move around the state.

Mark Brewer

President and Chief Executive Officer, Central Florida Foundation

Brewer sits at the intersection of philanthropy, public policy and community problem-solving. By advising donors, managing charitable investments and convening leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, he helps determine how philanthropic resources are directed toward Central Florida’s most persistent challenges.

Eddy Moratin

Co-Founder and President, Lift Orlando

Moratin has made Lift Orlando a national model for neighborhood revitalization by bringing residents, businesses and community organizations together around housing, education, health and economic opportunity. His selection as the 2026 Orlando Sentinel Central Floridian of the Year underscores the growing reach of his collaborative approach.

Katharine Kennedy

Global General Manager, Software Development Companies, Microsoft

Kennedy is helping shape how software companies build, sell and scale products within Microsoft’s global ecosystem. Her work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, strategic partnerships and organizational transformation gives an Orlando-connected leader influence over how emerging technologies reach companies and consumers worldwide.

Manny Vivar

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, HostDime

Vivar built HostDime from a small Orlando startup into an international data center infrastructure company with operations across multiple continents. As demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and edge infrastructure accelerates, his continued investment in locally based technology infrastructure makes him an increasingly important figure in Orlando’s innovation economy.

Danny Jenkins

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ThreatLocker

Jenkins has transformed an Orlando-area cybersecurity company into a global provider protecting more than 50,000 organizations. As ransomware and AI-enabled attacks become more sophisticated, ThreatLocker’s proactive Zero Trust approach—and Jenkins’ outspoken industry leadership—place him at the center of one of technology’s most urgent battles.

Karla Radka

President and Chief Executive Officer, Senior Resource Alliance

Radka oversees the region’s designated agency on aging, connecting older adults and caregivers with services ranging from meals and housing assistance to Medicare guidance. Central Florida’s growing and increasingly diverse senior population makes her work essential to how the region prepares for changing demographic and caregiving needs. 

Elisha González

Senior Vice President of Community Affairs, Truist

González leads Truist’s community relations and philanthropic strategy across Florida, giving her a powerful role in connecting corporate resources with economic development and nonprofit priorities. Her experience spanning banking, education, government affairs and community engagement makes her an influential bridge between Central Florida’s business and civic sectors.

Tanya Hill Easterling

Central Florida Market President, Florida Blue

Easterling stepped into one of the region’s most visible health care leadership roles in 2026, assuming responsibility for Florida Blue’s business and community engagement across nine counties. Her ability to connect membership growth with health care access and community trust will help shape the insurer’s influence during a period of rising costs and changing consumer needs.

Jim Schnorf

Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Orlando Dreamers

Schnorf is helping lead Orlando’s most ambitious professional sports pursuit: securing a Major League Baseball franchise and developing a proposed domed stadium. With the Dreamers seeking substantial public support for the project, his financial strategy and ability to build political and community backing could determine whether Orlando becomes a major-league baseball city.

Babette Hankey

President and Chief Executive Officer, Aspire Health Partners

Hankey leads Florida’s largest nonprofit behavioral health provider, delivering mental health and substance-use services across six Central Florida counties. Her systems-level approach—connecting behavioral health with primary care, housing and other social supports—makes her an increasingly important voice as the region confronts growing demand for treatment.

Jennifer Rice-Palmer

Vice President of Guest Contact and Revenue Management, Rosen Hotels & Resorts

Rice-Palmer helps shape the guest experience and revenue strategy of one of Orlando’s most prominent independent hospitality companies. Her oversight spans reservations, guest relations, social media, creative services and public relations, positioning her to help Rosen Hotels protect its distinctive culture while adapting for its next generation.

Patty Sheehan

District 4 Commissioner, City of Orlando

Sheehan has represented District 4 since 2000, making her one of Orlando’s longest-serving and most recognizable elected officials. Her institutional knowledge, outspoken advocacy and continued role in decisions affecting downtown, neighborhoods, transportation and growth ensure she remains a significant force at City Hall.

Tony Massey

President and Chief Executive Officer, Massey Services

Massey leads one of Central Florida’s largest privately held service companies, overseeing more than 2,900 employees and nearly 200 service centers across 10 states. His company’s continued expansion, combined with his roles on the UCF Board of Trustees and influential regional business organizations, gives him a growing voice in both corporate and civic affairs.

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