Kathleen Plinske serves as president of Valencia College, a community college located in Orlando, Florida, that serves more than 70,000 students annually. Prior to being selected in a nationwide search as Valencia’s fifth president in 2021, Plinske had served at Valencia as Campus President and as Executive Vice President and Provost, leading efforts to significantly increase access to higher education in traditionally underserved communities and developing a collegewide strategic impact plan with an explicit focus on advancing racial equity in student outcomes.

Plinske attended Indiana University Bloomington and earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and physics. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she completed a Master’s degree in Spanish from Roosevelt University and a doctorate in educational technology from Pepperdine University. An avid lifelong learner, she has continued her education by subsequently earning an MBA and a Master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida.