Special Announcement from the Board Chair

Dear Leadership Florida Members,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I share with you important news regarding our beloved President and CEO, Wendy Spencer. After nine extraordinary years leading Leadership Florida—and following a remarkable 43-year career of service—Wendy has announced her retirement, effective June 30, 2026, or shortly thereafter to align with the start date of her successor.

Wendy’s tenure has been marked by vision, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to our mission. Under her leadership, Leadership Florida has reached historic milestones, including:

• Record evaluation scores from Class members about their experiences
• Historic member engagement with 5,680 total event attendances in one year.
• Record fundraising through sponsorships, gifts, dues, and grants.
• Growth of Lifetime Membership to 720 members, with nearly 600 new enrollments.
• Launch of our first comprehensive social media presence, achieving 900,000 impressions in one year.
• Introduction of the Intent to Apply program, now attracting 700+ annual prospects.
• Revival of the La Florida Society, now totaling $1.1 million in endowment pledges.
• Initiated a new recognition program for veterans, military, and public safety members.
• Creation of innovative engagement initiatives such as Journeys to Success, Game Changers, The Leadership Exchange Podcast, and the Class Passport program, plus a new focus on retiree engagement. 
• Rejuvenation of Leadership Florida travel, with 10 trips and more than 600 participants over nine years.

These achievements and many more were realized despite challenges such as hurricanes and a global pandemic, underscoring Wendy’s resilience and the dedication of our staff and members.

Wendy will continue as a proud Lifetime Member and supporter of Leadership Florida. While we will miss her daily leadership, we celebrate her legacy and look forward to honoring her contributions in the months ahead.

I have selected Karen Moore of the Moore Agency (Cornerstone Class 14) to serve as Chair of the Search Committee. In the coming weeks I will soon announce the final members of the search committee. In addition, we are pleased to have selected John Mestepey of DSG | Koya as our search firm partners. DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is one of the nation’s premier search firms dedicated to mission-driven leadership and is the firm that successfully brought us Wendy Spencer. If you are interested in the search or would like to suggest a prospective candidate, please contact John Mestepey at leadershipfloridaceo@dsgco.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend our deepest gratitude to Wendy for her extraordinary service and leadership.  She has truly held what we believe to be the best job in Florida.

Warm regards,

Michael Wynn
Cornerstone Class 30
Board Chair 
Leadership Florida Board of Directors