Higher Education For All
PBSC’s Ava Parker On Educating The Workforce Of Tomorrow
By Joshua Manning
Palm Beach State College President Ava L. Parker leads the largest institution of higher education in Palm Beach County. Under her leadership, the college has hit record enrollment levels and opened a fifth location, the fast-growing Loxahatchee Groves campus just across Southern Blvd. from Wellington.
“I am truly honored to serve as the fifth president of the college,” Parker said. “I chose Palm Beach State because of the difference that it has historically made in the lives of our students, their families and our community. We are a partnership institution and a critical part of the economic infrastructure.”
A Wellington resident, Parker holds a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the University of Florida. She came to PBSC nine years ago from Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, where she served as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
“PBSC has the distinction of being the state’s first public community college, a legacy that underscores our commitment to providing an accessible, affordable, high-quality education that opens pathways to careers right here in Palm Beach County,” Parker said.
She is proud of the sense of community she sees in how the school’s faculty and staff work together to support more than 36,000 students.
“Our focus on innovation, coupled with our wide range of programs and resources, empowers students to achieve their career and life goals and make a meaningful impact in the communities of Palm Beach County,” Parker explained.
Looking for a centrally located home with easy access to PBSC’s five campuses — Boca Raton, Belle Glade, Lake Worth, Loxahatchee Groves and Palm Beach Gardens — Parker quickly settled on Wellington as her home base.
“I was looking for a family environment with good schools and friendly people and a place that was central to our college campuses,” Parker recalled, adding that people she spoke to often mentioned Wellington. “My husband Joe Gibbons and I were sold after our first visit. We rented here first just to be sure, and we eventually bought our home here in Wellington. It has been a great choice for us. My son Parker and daughter Bailey have enjoyed participating in recreational sports.”
Wellington also provides her family with a rich variety of family-oriented activities.
“The Wellington area is horse country, and one of the things I enjoy most is attending polo matches at the National Polo Center,” Parker said. “I also enjoy the parks and participating in holiday activities with my family. The Wellington Environmental Preserve offers a beautiful respite with its nature trails and scenes of wildlife, and the Mall at Wellington Green is always a go-to destination for shopping.”
A key focus of Parker’s tenure has been the opening and growth of the Loxahatchee Groves campus, designed to serve the central western part of Palm Beach County.
“The rapid growth of this area is reflected in the numbers of students enrolling on our Loxahatchee Groves campus,” Parker said. “We first opened the campus in 2017 with some 700 students. This year, more than 6,000 enrolled on this campus alone, making Loxahatchee Groves the fastest growing of PBSC’s five campuses.”
A key reason for that success is the strong relationships that the college has built with the local community.
“We work directly with the four major high schools in the area: Wellington, Palm Beach Central, Royal Palm Beach and Seminole Ridge,” Parker said. “Beginning this fall, we will have advisors from PBSC embedded in all these high schools who help serve students and increase enrollment. We’re also meeting students much earlier in their academic careers, introducing students as young as sixth grade to the college experience through our dual-enrollment programs.”
PBSC also works closely with major employers in the area.
“We have partnerships with businesses such as Wellington Regional Medical Center, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital and Gast Construction Group, as well as with major employers such as Florida Power and Light,” Parker added. “Many of these partners hold educational events for our students and provide internships, as well as paid jobs.”
Parker and her team also make it a point to be active in the community.
“We regularly meet with the mayors of Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Westlake and Loxahatchee Groves, as well as their council members and chambers of commerce,” she said. “We also have a 230-seat lecture hall at our Loxahatchee Groves campus, which has become a popular venue for hosting community educational programs, events and meetings.”
The college has made health science a primary focus in Loxahatchee Groves.
“In 2020, we established the Frank DiMino Center for Medical Innovation, enabling PBSC to expand our training programs in high-demand healthcare fields,” Parker said. “Our bachelor of science in nursing program is housed at the Loxahatchee Groves campus, and by fall 2025, we will also offer programs such as surgical technology, physical therapy and dental hygiene. We also offer computing and cybersecurity, and business and accounting programs at our Loxahatchee Groves campus.”
Currently under construction there is the $50 million, 83,500-square-foot Dental & Medical Services Technology Building. “It will feature a fully equipped dental clinic, a surgical technology suite, and science labs that incorporate cutting-edge equipment and technology for students pursuing careers as dental hygienists, dental assistants, surgical technologists and other healthcare occupations,” Parker said. “This new facility will offer virtual reality learning technology and a highly advanced 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection system for anatomy and physiology education.”
The building is set to be completed by February 2025, and classes will begin in the fall of 2025. The new building will benefit the local community as well by providing low-cost preventative dental care, Parker added.
Other initiatives include the creation of the Construction Trades Center for Workforce Innovation on the Lake Worth campus, which expands skilled trades programming with $5 million in federal funding plus $1 million from the Lowe’s Foundation. Both the Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves campuses have been tapped to expand training for first responders, and the Palm Beach Gardens campus will be key to a partnership with TMRW Sports. In cooperation with the PGA Tour, TMRW has selected PBSC as the exclusive home for TGL, its new professional indoor golf league that fuses advanced technology with live action for TV audiences.
“We see our mission as educating the future workforce of Palm Beach County,” Parker said. “Thanks to the strong partnerships we have with all the constituents in our community from local schools and the school district to industry, we are ensuring that our curriculum is relevant to the needs of our county. Our students power the engine of Palm Beach County’s economic growth in sectors ranging from healthcare to information technology to construction and engineering.”
Learn more about Palm Beach State College at www.palmbeachstate.edu.
