Laura Marrone is a results-oriented professional with over 20 years of experience in municipal government, higher education, procurement, project management, and business process optimization. Currently, Laura serves as the assistant director of solutions delivery in the Information Technology Services department. She leads a dynamic team responsible for maximizing the impact of the University’s core business systems.
Throughout her career, Laura has consistently demonstrated a passion for innovation and a commitment to excellence. In her previous role as associate director of procurement, she collaborated with the assistant vice president to develop efficient procurement processes and fostered strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Laura was awarded the Pinnacle Award in 2022 for her commitment to university excellence. Through her strong analytical and problem-solving skills, she has successfully navigated complex projects to deliver solutions that enhance operational efficiency and drive continuous improvement.
Laura is a lifelong learner and remains passionate about staying abreast of emerging trends in technology and business administration. She remains dedicated to driving continuous improvement at Florida Poly.
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.
