Description

March Membership Breakfast

Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 7:45 AM – 9:15 AM
Venue: Embassy Suites
Sponsored by Palm Beach State College

Palm Beach State College - Driving Economic Impact through Workforce Innovation

Join the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce for our March Membership Breakfast — a dynamic morning of connection, insight, and leadership bringing together professionals from across Boca Raton and South Palm Beach County.

Hosted at the beautiful Embassy Suites Boca Raton, this signature monthly gathering provides a welcoming and energizing setting for meaningful networking from 7:45 – 8:00 AM, followed by timely Chamber updates and an impactful keynote presentation from Ava L. Parker, J.D., President, Palm Beach State College.

Featured Speaker

Ava L. Parker, J.D.
President, Palm Beach State College

We are honored to welcome Ava L. Parker, J.D., President of Palm Beach State College, as our featured speaker.

Since 2015, President Parker has led PBSC with visionary and transformative leadership, becoming the first female president in the College’s history. Under her tenure, PBSC has emerged as a premier institution for STEM education and workforce development, serving more than 40,000 students across five campuses.

About Ava L. Parker, J.D. 

President of Palm Beach State College

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 opened a fifth campus, improved student success rates, increased enrollment growth; and is expanding facilities for allied health and technology professions, with the opening a newly constructed Dental and Health Innovation building, which opened in Fall 2025. Parker was also the chief architect of PBSC’s Palm Beach Gardens campus becoming the home of SoFi Center, which hosts the TGL, the world’s first tech golf sports and entertainment venue co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Parker has bolstered Palm Beach State College’s reputation as a regional leader in workforce development, advancing initiatives that align academic programs with industry demand to prepare students for high-growth careers. Under her leadership, PBSC is transforming workforce education through the development of industry-immersive facilities, including a Construction Trades Center that simulates job-site conditions, and a Quantum Innovation Center in development that will position the College at the forefront of emerging technologies.

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.

As former chair and a 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; is a member of the Orange Bowl Committee, Achieve Palm Beach County Executive Champions, and the West Palm Beach Federal Courthouse Committee.

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 2025). 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.

PBSC serves more than 40,000 students on site and online 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.

About Our Membership Breakfasts

The Boca Chamber hosts Membership Breakfasts on the second Thursday of every month, creating consistent opportunities for professionals to connect, learn, and engage with the South Palm Beach County business community.

Each month features a welcoming environment for members to build relationships, expand their network, and stay informed through community updates and meaningful conversations.

These breakfasts attract leaders from a wide range of industries who come together to collaborate, support one another, and contribute to the vibrant business ecosystem that fuels Boca Raton.

Together, our Membership Breakfasts strengthen the spirit of partnership, connection, and leadership that makes our community thrive.