In January 2021, Madeline Pumariega became the first female president of Miami Dade College, the institution she attended decades earlier as a student-athlete. She has served as chancellor of the Florida College System, comprised of 28 public community colleges and state colleges throughout Florida. It was another notable “first,” as Pumariega was the system’s first female and first Hispanic chancellor. In that role, she designed and implemented strategies to keep college accessible and affordable for Floridians especially in high-demand job fields. Most recently, she served as executive vice president and provost at Tallahassee Community College (TCC). Prior to serving at TCC she served as president of Take Stock in Children, a statewide nonprofit focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education. A native of Hialeah, Florida, Pumariega attended Miami Dade College, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and secondary education from St. Thomas University and a master’s degree in education from Florida Atlantic University.
