Lydia Guzmán joined Florida Polytechnic University as assistant director of communications in 2017, bringing more than 15 years of media experience from Florida’s largest cities. She was promoted to director of communications in 2019.
Before Florida Poly, she worked at Bay News 9 in Tampa where she was an anchor for its sister station, Bay News 9 en Español/InfoMas, as well as a reporter for both channels. She provided a steady and credible voice during live coverage of severe storms, elections, the Space Shuttle program, trials, and historical events.
As Hurricane Irma ravaged Florida in 2017, Guzmán kept the community informed throughout and later reported on the aftermath. She was also crucial in Emmy-winning coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013, providing live reports from the scene for stations in Tampa and Orlando.
Her career began at El Nuevo Herald in Miami as a general assignment reporter. Guzmán later joined El Nuevo Día newspaper in Orlando, where she mainly focused on news about politics and social issues.
Guzmán earned a bachelor’s in mass communications from the University of Puerto Rico and later a master’s in investigative journalism from Florida International University.
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.
