Panelist

Jennifer Evins is the president and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida, a nonprofit founded in 1989, with a mission to enrich the community through investing in arts, science, and history. United Arts is the local arts agency that serves Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. Evins leads a staff of 22 full-time employees and oversees an annual budget of $15 million while serving more than 125 nonprofits and professional artists in Central Florida. Evins works each day to build community through her collaborative spirit and creative and innovative solutions to opportunities and challenges facing the arts community and beyond.

Prior to joining United Arts in June 2021, Evins was president and CEO of Chapman Cultural Center, Inc, the local arts agency in Spartanburg, South Carolina for ten years, preceded by a fifteen-year career in marketing and public affairs in the for-profit sector. As a volunteer and professional, Evins has secured more than $100 million in contributions and grants from the public and private sectors in developing new cultural facilities, endowments, annual campaigns, affordable artist studios and a new YMCA. Evins authored and was Project Director for the inaugural Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge $1 million grant to fund Seeing Spartanburg in a New Light, improving police and community relations through ten neighborhood public art installations. She has also secured numerous National Endowment for the Arts Grants for both communities in SC and FL.

Jennifer is a graduate of Leadership Orlando 102 and of the Inaugural class of the Black Boardroom Institute for Nonprofits. Jennifer also received an i4Business Magazine’s Women’s Inspired Leadership Award in 2022 and was named one of Orlando Magazine’s top 50 Most Powerful people in Orlando in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Orange Appeal has named Jennifer a woman of the year in 2025. Jennifer currently serves on the boards of Orlando Economic Partnership, Visit Orlando, Downtown Orlando Partnership, as well as on the Advisory Boards of 4Roots and the UCF College of Arts & Humanities.

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana and a graduate of Hanover College, Jennifer is a Diversity Leadership Fellow of the Riley Institute of Furman University and a Hull Fellow of the Southeastern Council on Foundations. She served as a Trustee and Chair of Spartanburg County Foundation, the community foundation of Spartanburg South Carolina. She has received numerous awards for her leadership and contributions to her community including the South Carolina Governor’s Award for the Arts, the highest arts award in the state.