The College of Central Florida is proud to announce a record number of workforce expansion initiatives in the 2024-2025 academic year, as part of the largest workforce education expansion in the college’s 68-year history.

“The College of Central Florida is achieving unprecedented growth and receiving national recognition for our quality, with the help of our amazing partners,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “Governor DeSantis’ goal is to make Florida the No. 1 state in the country for workforce education, and CF has contributed to this effort by investing more than $100 million in state and local support over the past few years to expand our academic programs and facilities and prepare the most qualified, job-ready graduates to meet the needs of employers.”

CF’s workforce education accomplishments in the 2024-2025 academic year include the following:

Launching new programs, degrees and certificates:

• In response to growing demand for skilled professionals in Florida’s leading industry, CF added a new Hospitality and Tourism Management program to begin in Fall 2025, which will meet the local labor market needs of the expanding hospitality industry.
• The college submitted a proposal to the State Board of Education for a new Associate in Science degree in Precision Agriculture Technology, which will be the first of its kind in Florida, preparing students for careers in the dynamic and increasingly technology-driven agricultural sector.
• CF launched a new Associate in Science degree in Fire Science in the Spring 2025 semester, designed to help individuals advance in their careers and meet the expanding need for public safety leaders in the region.
• To meet a major increase in the need for technicians with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training, CF worked with the City of Ocala, Marion County and regional employers to create a new college credit certificate in GIS, which is now open for Fall 2025 enrollment. Graduates will be in high demand for local jobs in information technology, emergency response, urban planning, agriculture, environmental science, education, site development and more.
• To prepare graduates to fill around 300 local job openings in these high-demand health care fields, CF launched programs in cardiovascular technology, diagnostic medical sonography technology and respiratory care.

Creating and strengthening community partnerships:

• CF formalized a new partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to enhance student education and advance the use of uncrewed aircraft systems in agriculture.
• CF partnered with CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion (CLM) and public school districts in Marion, Citrus and Levy counties to offer the Pathways to Permanent program for teachers on temporary certifications. Since the program started in 2023, CF has enrolled and supported 71 classroom teachers on their journey to licensure, and more than 100 teachers have applied to the program for the Fall 2025 semester.
• Through its public-private partnership with Fleetforce Truck Driving School, CF has produced 263 Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) graduates and has just expanded into Levy County, in partnership with the Levy County School Board and CareerSource CLM, with the first cohort of Class B CDL students set to graduate in June 2025.
• CF, in partnership with BDI Datalynk and CareerSource CLM, has trained 109 individuals with the support of the Creating Connections Broadband Infrastructure Grant – with a 99% pass rate. CF worked to have the Certified Fiber Optics Bootcamp certifications, including Certified Fiber Optics Technician, Certified Fiber Optic Specialist – Testing and Maintenance, and Certified Fiber Optic Specialist – Splicing added to the Master Credential List.
• Lockheed Martin has launched a new schedule of seven apprentice cohorts, which will train at the CF Ocala Campus advanced manufacturing lab. After the first four weeks of training, apprentices will be eligible for nine college credit hours in the CF Associate in Science in Engineering Technology degree program.
• CF Corporate College partnered with the Levy County School Board to offer the first of its kind phlebotomy training for high school seniors.

Expanding facilities, supporting students and maintaining excellence:

• Through the Reimagining Education and Career Help (REACH) Act, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2021, CF received four grants this year: $1,967,027 in scholarship funding from the FLDOE Open Door Grant Program, to support students in career and technical education programs; $1,049,273 from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) PIPELINE District Fund, for nursing education; $661,959 from the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive (CAP) grant to renovate and modernize technology at the Vintage Farm Campus and expand IT programs to the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus; and $600,000 from the FLDOE Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) fund, for nursing education and scholarships.
• CF was certified as a National Institute of Food and Agriculture Non-Land-Grant College of Agriculture, one of only three Florida educational institutions and the only college in the Florida College System with this designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• The college is currently renovating the Ocala Campus Building 19 to serve as a new home for its award-winning Emergency Medical Services programs, as part of an ongoing Health Sciences expansion that also included the opening of the new AdventHealth Center for Nursing in January 2025 and the opening of the Allied Health Sciences building in 2023.
• Health Sciences have expanded at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus with the addition of the Respiratory Care program and the Citrus County Hospital Board Nursing Promise Scholarship, which covers tuition for Citrus County residents in the Associate Degree Nursing program.
• CF is preparing to break ground on a new Criminal Justice Instruction Center, a 33,744-square-foot modern, multimedia learning environment where students will prepare to fill the large number of open law enforcement jobs in our area.

To learn more about the College of Central Florida and stay updated on the college’s ongoing initiatives, visit CF.edu.

On view in the Appleton’s Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists from June 21, 2025-January 18, 2026, “The Human Pulse: Photographs by John Elliott” features 42 black-and-white prints from the Ocala-based photographer’s ongoing series, “The Human Pulse.”

Elliott’s “The Human Pulse” project is shaped by his life and travels across 32 countries, capturing the remarkable array of the human experience. His photographs reflect a dreamlike vantage point: floating somewhat above, sometimes even at a great distance, but still connected to the moment.

As an influence, Elliott cites the renowned “The Family of Man” exhibition, organized by photographer Edward Steichen for the Museum of Modern Art New York in 1955. Elliott discovered the exhibition catalog in his father’s library and said, “Only decades later did I recollect perusing it with interest as a child, and the memories of many images remained vivid. Recently musing upon the genesis of one of my series, ‘The Human Pulse,’ I began to realize how influential this book was on my photographic vision. I strive to paint a multi-faceted spectrum of global humanity — joy to suffering, spontaneity to reflection.”

Gallery Tour

Saturday, October 4, 11 a.m.

Join Elliott on the October 4 Free First Saturday for a tour of his solo exhibition, “The Human Pulse.” Tour meets at 11 a.m. in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists on the second floor. Free as part of Free First Saturday; no reservation needed to attend.

About the Artist:

John Elliott was born in Spring Valley, New York, and for his first dozen years lived in Manhattan, after which he moved with his family to Coral Gables, Florida, where he fell in love with photography. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and double minors in Spanish and international studies from Ohio University. After a successful career in media production, in early 2011 he was selected to be an officer in the U.S. Foreign Service and, after five months of training, received a congressional appointment to be a vice consul in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From 2014-2016, he served as press attaché in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before returning to Washington, D.C., to work for the State Department in five senior diplomatic assignments through 2021. Elliott and his family currently reside in Ocala. He is a founder of the Ocala Photography Group and has exhibited his work in solo and group shows since 1973.

Regular admission fees apply to visit. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month as part of the Free First Saturday program.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

Featured image: John Elliott, “Bliss Ride (Giza, Egypt),” 2015, Archival giclée pigment print, Courtesy of the artist.

The College of Central Florida (CF) has formalized a new partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to enhance student education and advance the use of uncrewed aircraft systems in agriculture.

The agreement, approved by the CF Board of Trustees on May 28, gives CF Agribusiness Management students unprecedented opportunities to access innovative technologies and get hands-on experience with the latest industry equipment. Learners studying at the CF Vintage Farm Campus will benefit from autonomous aircraft demonstrations and guest lectures by Embry-Riddle experts, who will focus on agricultural operations such as crop monitoring, livestock management and precision farming.

“Expanding the college’s agribusiness training opportunities is responsive to the needs of employers,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “With our area producing nearly $400 million in agriculture exports each year and generating an economic impact of more than $4 billion through our equine industry, CF is positioned to be Florida’s top educational provider for agribusiness career training, talent development and applied research.”

Embry-Riddle, located in Daytona Beach, will have access to CF facilities for collaborative events, research and career awareness initiatives.

“This partnership represents an exciting opportunity for students to explore the intersection of aviation and agriculture in a real-world setting,” said Dr. Alan Stolzer, dean of the Embry-Riddle College of Aviation. “We look forward to engaging with the College of Central Florida community and providing meaningful experiences that inspire the next generation of uncrewed aircraft systems leaders.”

College of Central Florida was certified in 2024 as a National Institute of Food and Agriculture Non-Land-Grant College of Agriculture, and is one of only three Florida educational institutions with this designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, alongside Florida State University and Florida International University. CF’s 103-acre Vintage Farm Campus, located on County Road 475 just south of downtown Ocala, is the only working farm campus in the Florida College System.

For more information about CF’s Agribusiness Management program, visit CF.edu/Agribusiness.

In response to the growing demand for skilled professionals in Florida’s leading industry, the College of Central Florida is launching a new Hospitality and Tourism Management program beginning in Fall 2025.

Designed to support Florida’s rapidly growing tourism industry, the program offers a clear academic pathway starting with the Guest Services Specialist college credit certificate. This entry-level credential equips students for frontline roles such as concierge, guest services associate, or front desk coordinator. The curriculum also includes preparation for industry-recognized certifications like the Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP) and ServSafe Food Manager/Handler.

The certificate seamlessly transitions into the Associate in Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management, which expands students’ knowledge in areas such as hospitality principles, hotel management, event and conference planning, tourism marketing and digital media, leadership, and human resource management.

Both the certificate and associate degree programs feature exclusive internship opportunities, professional networking events, and hands-on learning with major industry partners, including the World Equestrian Center.

“One of CF’s key focuses is to provide programs that meet the workforce needs of local businesses and organizations, and we’ve developed this new Hospitality and Tourism Management degree to do just that,” said John Ash, CF dean of business, technology and agricultural sciences. “With an average salary for industry professionals of around $29 an hour and rapid job growth in Marion County, we’re excited to be able to offer local students the opportunity to become part of Florida’s $1.2+ billion tourism industry.”

To learn more about CF’s Hospitality and Tourism program, visit CF.edu/Hospitality.

CHIEFLAND, Fla. (May 27, 2025) — The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to attend Application Day on Thursday, June 19, from 4-6 p.m. at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

At this event, future students may apply to the college with no fee, start the financial aid application, speak with advisors about program and degree options, and tour the campus. The college will give away free CF merchandise and attendees may enter to receive a scholarship to cover tuition for one class at the in-state rate.

Additional Application Day events will be held Saturday, June 21, from 9-11 a.m. at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala, and Monday, June 23, from 4-6 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

For more information, visit CF.edu/AppDay.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to attend Application Day on Monday, June 23, from 4-6 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

At this event, future students may apply to the college with no fee, start the financial aid application, speak with advisors about program and degree options, and tour the campus. The college will give away free CF merchandise and attendees may enter to receive a scholarship to cover tuition for one class at the in-state rate. Students interested in Health Sciences programs including EMS, Nursing and Respiratory Care may participate in a Q&A session.

Additional Application Day events will be held Thursday, June 19, from 4-6 p.m. at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland, and Saturday, June 21, from 9-11 a.m. at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.

For more information, visit CF.edu/AppDay.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, invites the community for an art-filled day on June 7 during Free First Saturday, featuring a special presentation on Frank Lloyd Wright.

Enjoy free admission to the Appleton from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors are invited to explore the museum’s permanent collection, special exhibitions and get creative with hands-on art activities in the Artspace.

In the auditorium at 2 p.m., author and historian Dr. Wayne Wood will present “Frank Lloyd Wright and His Influence on Florida Architecture.” This entertaining program gives the audience an in-depth understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright’s vast influence on Florida’s architectural history. Widely regarded as one of the foremost chroniclers of Northeast Florida history, Wood has been called the “undisputed godfather of preservation in Jacksonville.” An author, historian and artist, he founded Riverside Avondale Preservation and Riverside Arts Market. He has published 15 books on Northeast Florida.

Special exhibitions on view include: “What If Eye: Fifty Years of Exploration with Ummarid ‘Tony’ Eitharong,” sponsored by Fine Arts for Ocala (FAFO), as well as “Strength and Resilience: Works by Carmen Rojas Ginés and Naomi Shanti.” It’s the last weekend to visit “Framing Tokyo: Joel Bustamante’s Architectural Photography,” on view in the museum’s Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists.

Support local by grabbing a bite from The Dancing Empanada food truck, featuring delicious, made-from-scratch empanadas, and learn more about CAMPUS USA and Humane Society of Marion County at their partner tables.

This Free First Saturday is supported in part by CAMPUS USA Credit Union, Marion Cultural Alliance and National Endowment for the Arts.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

Topics and concepts presented at this event are for discussion purposes only and are not intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate, or compel individuals to believe the topics or concepts presented therein. Nor do they constitute endorsement of such topics or concepts by the College of Central Florida, its Board of Trustees, or any of their officers, employees, or agents.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, presents a fun day of activities on the upcoming May 3 Free First Saturday.

Admission to the museum is free from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Guests are invited to explore the permanent collection and special exhibitions and enjoy family-friendly artmaking activities in the Artspace.

In celebration of the special exhibition, “Framing Tokyo: Joel Bustamante’s Architectural Photography,” join us for a double-feature film screening beginning at 11 a.m. in the auditorium. Following a brief introduction by Appleton staff, the screening will begin with the original Japanese “Godzilla” (1954), followed by “The Return of Godzilla” (1984), that restarts the storyline and picks up after the original film. The “Framing Tokyo” exhibition spotlights Tokyo’s striking skyline, and viewers might recognize several featured skyscrapers in the 1984. Like photographer Joel Bustamante, director Koji Hashimoto was drawn to the dynamic architecture of Shinjuku, a special ward of Tokyo, using special effects to depict Godzilla (or Gojira) wreaking havoc on these iconic buildings. Admission to the films is free as part of Free First Saturday; no reservations needed to attend.

Other special exhibitions on view include: “To the MAX: Magnolia Art Xchange’s 10-Year Anniversary,” “What If Eye: Fifty Years of Exploration with Ummarid ‘Tony’ Eitharong,” both sponsored by Fine Arts for Ocala (FAFO), as well as “Strength and Resilience: Works by Carmen Rojas Ginés and Naomi Shanti.”

Support Ocala’s local small businesses and stop by Michelle’s NY Style Hot Dogs and The Donut Express food trucks, serving delicious treats. While you’re there, make a difference and donate blood with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, also onsite throughout the event.

This Free First Saturday is supported in part by CAMPUS USA Credit Union, Marion Cultural Alliance and National Endowment for the Arts.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

Topics and concepts presented at this event are for discussion purposes only and are not intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate, or compel individuals to believe the topics or concepts presented therein. Nor do they constitute endorsement of such topics or concepts by the College of Central Florida, its Board of Trustees, or any of their officers, employees, or agents.