Email: mgazaway@floridapoly.edu
Phone: +1 (863) 874-8605
Location: Main Campus
Office: IST-2082
Department: Office of Administration and Finance
Mercedes B. Gazaway joined Florida Polytechnic University in August 2024 as the executive assistant to the vice president and chief financial officer. This role encompasses strategic operations management, high-level communications facilitation, and complex project coordination. Prior to this, she was part of the University of Arkansas, where she contributed to the Institute for Integrative & Innovative Research and the Arkansas Alumni Association from 2016 to 2024. Her tenure at the University of Arkansas involved significant project management, strategic planning, and community engagement, setting a solid foundation for her current responsibilities at Florida Poly.
Awards and Honors
Education
Professional Activities
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.
