Seminole State College of Florida, part of the Florida College System, has six campuses in Central Florida and nearly 32,000 students.

Higher Education

Seminole State College of Florida

Dr. Laura Ross has been with Seminole State College for more than 20 years, serving as a faculty member, English Department chair, coordinator of the Faculty Institute, director of International Studies and the Honors Institute, and associate vice president of Arts and Sciences.

As Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Ross is responsible for the delivery of academic programs, courses and services. Seminole State offers nearly 200 degrees, certificates and programs, including five bachelor’s degree programs.

Dr. Ross earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership from the [University of Central Florida](/org/university-of-central-florida) in 2006; an M.A. in English, rhetoric and composition from [The Ohio State University](/org/the-ohio-state-university) in 1984; and a B.A. in English and education from Heidelberg College in 1980.

Laura Ross

Kate Henry is an accomplished marketing strategist and communicator with more than 25 years of experience in global public and private sectors. Henry joined Seminole State in March 2015.

As vice president of marketing and strategic communications, Henry provides senior leadership in planning, developing, coordinating, implementing and evaluating the marketing and communications efforts for the College. She also supports the Foundation for Seminole State College and its fundraising efforts as well as collegewide events.

Henry previously served as director of global marketing for [Fiserv](/org/fiserv) and as vice president of marketing for Pershing LLC. In these roles, she led activities and teams responsible for market and competitive research, media relations, marketing communications, events and conferences, advertising, issues management and branding. She has also worked in U.S. and U.K. government organizations and as a PR consultant and senior marketing manager in the IT, communications, economic development, tourism and engineering sectors.

Henry attended the London School of Economics and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also holds a post-graduate certificate in counseling and is certified in pragmatic marketing.

Kate Henry

Dr. Dick Hamann earned his Ph.D. in computing technology in education at [Nova Southeastern University](/org/nova-southeastern-university) in 2015; his MBA from the [University of Central Florida](/org/university-of-central-florida) in 1994; and his bachelor's degree in computer science  from [Long Island University](/org/long-island-university) in 1987. 

Dr. Hamann served in various capacities at the [University of Central Florida](/org/university-of-central-florida) for eight and a half years. He started as a programmer analyst and ended his tenure as a systems coordinator, with an emphasis in client server technologies, managing a team of senior programmer analysts, network analysts and client server specialists.

In 1997, Dr. Hamann joined Seminole State College as the Director of Computing and Telecommunication Services. During his tenure at Seminole State, technology has become a top priority of the College, supporting business and student-related processes, including online registration, admission and fee payment.

Prior to his appointment as Vice President of Information Technology and Resources in 2005, Dr. Hamann served as the College's Associate Vice President for Technology Services, during which time Seminole State received the prestigious Smithsonian Computer World Honors award.

Dr. Hamann continues to be sought after to serve as a technical adviser in multiple private and state agencies, including the [National Science Foundation](/org/national-science-foundation), State Horizon Grant, Seminole County and the Florida Internet Resource Network (FIRN).

Dick Hamann

Dr. Georgia Lorenz began her tenure as the third president of [Seminole State College of Florida](/org/seminole-state-college-of-florida) on Aug. 1, 2018. She brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education to the College and is eager to build on Seminole State’s incredible legacy. 

Prior to joining Seminole State, she served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at [Santa Monica College](/org/santa-monica-college) (SMC) in California. She started at SMC in 2005 as the Director of Instructional Services. She was named Associate Dean of Instructional Services in 2006 and advanced to the Dean of Instructional Services from 2008-2014. In her role as Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Lorenz had direct responsibility for providing leadership and administrative oversight to the college's instructional programs, including curriculum, 21 academic departments, satellite campuses, learning resources, distance education, continuing education and health sciences.

Of many achievements, Dr. Lorenz led a team who received the Award for Innovation from the California Department of Finance ($2M) in partnership with Arizona State University to implement a guided pathways framework redesign of the college. The team was also invited to participate in the American Association of Community Colleges Pathways 2.0 national project.

Dr. Lorenz earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Administration at USC, where she received the Delta Epsilon Dissertation Award of Merit. She holds a Master of Science in Education and Social Policy from [Northwestern University](/org/northwestern-university) and a Bachelor of Arts in English from [Stanford University](/org/stanford).

She has participated in community service to benefit foster youth and was a synchronized swimmer for 15 years. She and her husband, Mike, are enjoying engaging with the Central Florida community and experiencing all Florida has to offer.

Georgia Lorenz

Mae Ashby is a human resources professional with over 20 years of experience in helping organizations achieve HR excellence. Ashby joined Seminole State in 2011 and assists the College in attracting and developing the best faculty and staff, and in building a culture of engagement and innovation. Under her leadership, the College has received recognition for its commitment to diversity (CUPA-HR) and for providing employees with supportive work-life programs (World at Work). 

As associate vice president of Human Resources, Ashby provides counsel in policy administration, develops strategic workforce planning, oversees employee development, employee relations, benefits and compensation administration, and labor relations.

Ashby previously served as a human resource business partner for the YMCA of Central Florida, an HR manager for Xerox Corp., HR manager for an alternative education school, and a guest services manager for [The Walt Disney Company](/org/disney).

Ashby was named as one of the Women to Watch by the Orlando Business Journal in 2015. She also received the Nevis Herrington award from her peers (Florida Council of Business and HR Affairs) in 2018.

Ashby received her master's degree in human resources management from [Rollins College](/org/rollins-college) and her bachelor’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She also holds her professional in human resources certification from the Society for Human Resource Management.

Mae Ashby

Mazur is a seasoned professional in fiscal leadership with more than 20 years of experience in higher education and in the 28-member Florida College System (FCS).

He began his career as an accountant at the Florida Prepaid College program and moved to Florida Southwestern State College, where he served as accountant, budget and payroll manager and eventually, finance and accounting manager. He went on to become dean of finance and controller at [Indian River State College](/org/indian-river-state-college). Prior to joining Seminole State in December 2019, Mazur served as vice president of administration and finance at [College of Central Florida](/org/college-of-central-florida).

He also worked at a public accounting firm for a short time but returned to the FCS because he missed being part of something bigger that directly impacted students’ lives for the better. 

An FCS graduate, Mazur earned his Associate in Arts degree with a focus in business administration from [Palm Beach State College](/org/palm-beach-state-college). He also holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Finance from Florida State University and a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from [Florida Gulf Coast University](/org/florida-gulf-coast-university). He is a certified public accountant and certified by the College Business Management Institute.

As vice president for business operations/CFO, Mazur is responsible for the fiscal management of Seminole State and supports the College’s learning-centered mission through effective leadership, analysis and planning of college finances. He also supervises leaders in all areas of Financial Services and Facilities Management.

Joe Mazur

Johnny L. Craig is an established student services professional committed to holistic student development. Driven by Nelson Mandela’s belief that “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” Craig is committed to meeting students where they are and helping them reach their educational goal. 

As a higher education professional with more than a decade of leadership experience in community colleges and universities, Craig has held numerous administrative positions and prides himself on being a transformational leader in Student Affairs administration. Having served as an adjunct faculty member for many years, Craig believes student success is the net product of successful collaboration between Academic and Student Affairs.  

Before joining Seminole State in July 2019, Craig served as vice president for student services and enrollment management at [Milwaukee Area Technical College](/org/milwaukee-area-technical-college). In that role, he provided executive leadership for 21 departments and was a member of the college’s executive leadership team redesigning systems and processes to support students academically, professionally, personally and financially.   

As VP of Student Affairs, Craig leads the development of student programs and support services, supervises leaders in all areas of Student Affairs, and ensures that student processes operate efficiently and effectively to support students from admission through graduation.

Craig, a first-generation college graduate, holds a Juris Doctor degree from The BK Roberts College of Law at [Florida State University](/org/florida-state-university), a master’s in higher education administration from [Georgia State University](/org/georgia-state-university), and bachelor’s degrees in economics and agri-business from Florida A&M University.

Johnny Craig

Dr. John A. Gyllin is an executive with more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration. As vice president for resource and economic development, he also serves as executive director of the Foundation for Seminole State College of Florida, Inc. Gyllin previously served as vice president for advancement and executive director of the college foundation for the College of Coastal Georgia.

Gyllin, a native of Merritt Island, Florida, has been involved in higher education administration since 1996, working specifically in advancement since 1998. Since he joined the College in 2011, Seminole State has been the recipient of six gifts of more than $1 million and also completed a successful comprehensive campaign in 2016, surpassing its $12 million goal by $1.5 million. While at [Northeastern State University](/org/northeastern-state-university) in Oklahoma, Gyllin coordinated all alumni and fundraising activities on three campuses. In 2009, his team's efforts generated nearly $2 million in donor support, a record for the university, including the institution’s first private million-dollar gift. 

Gyllin holds a bachelor's degree in management and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from [Henderson State University](/org/henderson-state-university) in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He also holds a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

John Gyllin

Barbara Coleman-Foster

Paul Carland specializes in education law, having served as general counsel for the school boards of Broward and Hernando counties before joining Seminole State in January 2016.

As general counsel, Carland provides legal opinions and advice, and guides the Seminole State community on the development, refinement, review and recommendation of College policies and procedures. Carland also leads the College's Office of Legal Affairs.

Carland was a staff attorney for the Lee County School Board and served on the Florida School Board Attorney Association (FSBAA) Board of Directors. He is certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in education law and is a member of the National School Board Association’s Council of School Attorneys (COSA), the Florida Bar Education Law Committee and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Carland, a native of Fort Lauderdale, holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from [Nova Southeastern University](/org/nova-southeastern-university) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science from the [University of Florida](/org/university-of-florida).

Paul Carland

The leadership team at Seminole State College of Florida has a long history of experience in education. The team members have worked as professors at colleges and universities, as well as in various other roles in the education industry. They have also been involved in educational technology, instructional design, and educational research.

Leadership Team

About

Team members

Other teams at Seminole State College of Florida

CEO and Executive Team

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