About
Tina McCarty joined Florida Polytechnic University in January 2026 as an administrative assistant III in the office of Dr. Jon Pawlecki, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs. McCarty arrived at Florida Poly with more than 30 years of administerial knowledge. Prior to joining the University, she worked in the insurance industry, as a public-school teacher, in public transportation, and in the maritime industry.
McCarty said she has a servant’s heart and enjoys helping others. She spends most of her time as a dedicated mom of two adult children and nana to four grandchildren. She loves gardening, thrift shopping, and sharing her religion.
Professional Activities
Education
This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.
Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution’s resilience.
