Office of the President

President Ava L. Parker, J.D.

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Visionary Leadership

For Ava L. Parker, the success of Palm Beach State College’s students and Palm Beach County go hand in hand. Parker has served as president of Palm Beach State College since 2015. She is the first female president in the history of PBSC, which was founded in 1933 as Florida’s first public community college.

Parker’s steadfast and visionary leadership has resulted in PBSC emerging as a top institution for preparing students for STEM careers. Under Parker’s tenure, PBSC has opened a fifth campus, improved student success rates, increased enrollment growth and expanded facilities for allied health and technology professions, with a newly constructed 83,500-square-foot Dental and Medical Sciences Technology Building that opened at the Loxahatchee Groves campus in 2025. Parker was also the chief architect of PBSC’s Palm Beach Gardens campus becoming the home of the world’s first tech golf sports and entertainment venue co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Ava L. Parker

 

Championing Workforce Development

Parker has bolstered Palm Beach State College’s reputation as a regional leader in workforce development by driving initiatives that align educational programs with industry demands to prepare students for high-growth careers. PBSC has been awarded 62 Resource and Grant Development Awards totaling $47.5 million. The College is set to revolutionize trades education by simulating real job site conditions through its Construction Trades Center. PBSC is also an Amazon Career Choice partner.
 

Expanding College Readiness

Parker’s quest to enhance college readiness and widen access to postsecondary education has seen PBSC’s Dual Enrollment Program expand from 2,423 students enrolled in 2015-16 to more than 4,000 today. The assets of PBSC’s Foundation have also grown under Parker’s leadership. Before her arrival, the Foundation’s growth of donor support and endowment giving averaged $2 to $3 million per year. This average has increased to $10 million per year, exemplified through the establishment of the Stephen M. Ross Emerging Scholars program, which benefits college readiness initiatives and provides students in West Palm Beach with full tuition scholarships.

Leading Nationally

As former chair and current member of the American Association of Community Colleges’ Board of Directors, Parker is a national thought leader and advocate for community colleges and their role in shaping the high-skilled workforce of the future. She serves on the Board of Directors for MasTec, an American multinational infrastructure engineering and construction company, and Orchid Island Capital, a publicly traded specialty finance company. She is on the Advisory Board of the Community College Research Center, and she serves as a member of the Orange Bowl Committee, Achieve Palm Beach County Executive Champions and the West Palm Beach Federal Courthouse Committee.
 

Achieving Distinction

Parker has received numerous accolades throughout her career for her role in advancing women and providing access to education to students of all backgrounds. In 2023, she received the Distinguished Member Award from Leadership Florida and the Ed Tancer Community Leader of the Year Award from the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce. Florida Trend magazine named her a top influencer on its Florida 500 list for multiple years (2019 to 2024). Parker was on City and State Florida’s inaugural Women Power 100 list in 2022. She received the South Florida 2022 Ultimate CEO award from the South Florida Business Journal, which also selected Parker as a Power Leader in Education from 2021 to 2025.
 

Impacting Lives

PBSC serves more than 40,000 students online and at five campuses throughout Palm Beach County. Since 2023 and for three consecutive years, PBSC has been ranked among the Top Online Colleges by Newsweek and Statista and is recognized as a “Top 10” Military Friendly® School by VIQTORY magazine. In 2017, PBSC was designated the top status of GOLD in the Florida College System ranking. With more than 160,000 graduates, PBSC alumni touch every aspect of Palm Beach County, and Parker is leading the way, ensuring opportunities that enable growth for Palm Beach County and the State of Florida’s businesses and workforce.
 

Background

Before joining Palm Beach State in 2015, President Parker was executive vice president and chief operating officer at Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s first public university focused on applied research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.

She also served for more than a decade on the Florida Board of Governors of the State University System and served on the University of Central Florida’s Board of Trustees.

She was a partner in the Jacksonville law firm of Lawrence & Parker, general counsel at Edward Waters College, general counsel for the 11th Episcopal District of the AME Church, assistant general counsel for the state Department of Transportation, and assistant public defender in Miami-Dade County. 

President Parker earned her B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Florida. She is married to Joe Gibbons. They have two children and enjoy spending their time in the wonderful backdrop of Palm Beach County.

Stories of Impact

President Parker leads one of Florida's most impactful institutions with inspiration and purpose. See how she champions the PBSC community and the advancement of education.

"You are the strivers, reinventors, explorers and influencers of our region. My wish for you is that you lean into life after graduation, and into your communities wherever you are, with the same dazzling energy and imagination you showed while you were here." 

— President Ava L. Parker, Spring 2025 Graduation

Discover how Palm Beach State College, Related Ross and West Palm Beach Mayor's office are joining forces to drive smart development and educational investment for a brighter future.  |  Read Full Story

PBSC President Ava L. Parker spoke about the importance of academic and industry partnerships in meeting future workforce needs.

PBSC President Ava L. Parker joins Palm Beach County education leaders to chart an AI-ready workforce  |  Read Full Story

Palm Beach State College gathers tech leaders at an AI and robotics summit  |  Read Full Story

TGL kicks off its inaugural season with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the SoFi Center at PBSC’s Palm Beach Gardens campus  |  Read Full Story

Driving Palm Beach State College forward, together

Discover the individuals and organizations that shape PBSC’s direction and keep the College operating as one cohesive institution.

 

Office Contact

Theresa Maloney
Executive Assistant, President and Board
Email: maloneyt@pbsc.edu