Women in Leadership Panel : A Discussion on Leadership and Career Elevation

Celebrate International Women’s Day with FPRA Orlando! We are excited to spotlight some incredible women in Communications and Marketing. Join us to learn from esteemed professionals who have been trusted to lead and direct PR and Marketing programs for premier brands in Florida and beyond. The event will be held at the new Women’s History and Cultural Center at the Girl Scouts of Citrus office in Orlando. The center is Florida’s first dedicated women’s history and cultural center. After the program, attendees will be invited to tour the facility. The program will feature a networking opportunity and full breakfast.

Panelists

Heather Jennings | Vice President of Marketing - Brand Management at Longhorn Steakhouse – Heather Jennings is the Vice President of Marketing – Brand Management at Longhorn Steakhouse and leads the food and beverage strategy team, which includes menus, merchandising, digital media, and to-go. She has been with Darden Restaurants for almost 10 years and her previous experiences in purchasing, sales, and merchandising at McCormick and Johnson & Johnson have given her a broad perspective, beyond Marketing, while maintaining a deep consideration for the details. Heather is a Baltimore native and studied at Penn State University where she earned her degree in Supply Chain Management. In her spare time, family is everything to Heather. She also has a newfound obsession with her Peloton bike and indulges in anything Real Housewives.

Lourdes Mola | President and CEO – As the founder of Lourdes Mola Solutions, Lourdes Mola delivers innovative, influential, and powerful strategies to help businesses grow. Leveraging long-held and carefully cultivated professional partnerships with businesses and nonprofits, Lourdes utilizes a unique “Fuel Their Business” approach focused on key strategies, impressive leadership, and targeted marketing efforts. This mindset and values provide the framework to develop and shape corporate communications, public relations, social media strategies, brand development and reputation management among other key attributes of success with all her clients. After more than 25 successful years working in Fortune 500 companies and having led one of the largest chambers of the country - the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, of Metro Orlando and other non-profit organizations, Lourdes mines the expertise garnered from working with the brightest minds across Florida and the U.S., to help the large and small companies with whom she consults to optimize their profits. Mola serves as the regional director for Women Business Enterprise Council of Florida to certify Women Owned businesses and ensure they have a seat at the table with over 450 corporate partners. She is a national award-winning professional with a proven track record of leading business development efforts, creating multicultural strategies, delivering successful training and outcome-driven communications. In 2021, Lourdes was named “CEO of the Year” by Orlando Magazine and in 2020, she was named a “Women Who Means Business” by the Orlando Business Journal for her contributions to Central Florida. In 2016, Lourdes was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Women’s Executive Council and then again by I4 Business Magazine in 2021. A self-described lifelong learner, she received her undergraduate degree in marketing from Nova Southeastern University and earned her MBA from Stetson University. Her passion for cultural and international affairs has also taken her all over the world. Her accolades and successes notwithstanding, Lourdes’ joy in helping her clients succeed is fueled by the joy she finds in spending time and creating memories with her husband and two children. She resides with her family in Orlando, the City Beautiful.

Wendy Roundtree, APR | Founder & Lead Strategist at Jarel Communications – Wendy J. Roundtree, APR is the founder and lead strategist for Jarel Communications, an award-winning social impact agency that works with world-changers to amplify their stories. The agency's work includes clients on the frontlines of affordable housing, education, health and wellness, race, equity and social justice. Prior to Jarel Communications, Wendy worked for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), the eighth largest school district in the nation. At OCPS, she specialized in executive speechwriting, employee communications, integrated marketing and media relations. She has also held public relations and marketing roles with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando and Costa Communications, a full-service agency in Winter Park, Fla. Wendy is a board member and volunteer with the Joe R. Lee Boys and Girls Club in Eatonville, Fla., and is a past president of the Orlando Regional Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. She earned an MBA from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College and a B.A. in Mass Communications from Bethune-Cookman University, which, in 2017, named her a “40 Under 40” honoree. In 2021, she was named to the Orlando Magazine’s Women of the Year list, and in 2022 received a Women's Achievement Award from the Women's Executive Council of Orlando.

Panel Moderator

Alyson Sologaisoa, APR, CPRC | Vice President of Public Relations for Universal Orlando Resort where she has worked on the communications team for more than 15 years. In her current role, Alyson leads her team in setting global public relations strategy, tactical planning and execution, corporate issues and crisis management. During her time with Universal Orlando, she has been closely involved with communicating the destination’s evolution, beginning in 2010 with the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade. From there she and her team went on to launch some of the most popular experiences ever created including TRANSFORMERS The Ride – 3D, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley and the resort’s most recent addition – the Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Alyson and her team also handle all communications strategy for the destinations’ annual events including, the scary popular, Halloween Horror Nights and the ongoing PR efforts around the resort hotels operated in partnership with Loews. Alyson holds a B.S. in Public Relations and a B.A. in English Writing from Florida State University. She is an active member of the Florida Public Relations Association where she served as State President from 2019-2021.

Host or Publisher FPRA Orlando Area Chapter