Impact
Meet Juvenile Welfare Board CEO contender Glen Gilzean Jr.
“I have the energy to bring this organization into the future.”
The Juvenile Welfare Board’s search for a new CEO remains unresolved after members split evenly between interim CEO Michael Mikurak and challenger Glenton “Glen” Gilzean Jr., delaying a final vote until April.
Both candidates enter the final stretch under scrutiny.
Mikurak has denied allegations from the board’s former chief financial officer accusing him of misusing public funds and retaliating against him.
Gilzean has faced questions tied to nearly $10 million in spending over a two-month period during his tenure as Orange County’s supervisor of elections. County officials said the expenditures lacked required approval. Gilzean disputes that characterization and has denied wrongdoing.
In an interview, Gilzean framed the Orange County episode as political fallout from reform efforts.
“Public leadership always brings scrutiny,” he said.
He maintains that operational savings generated under new procurement controls were redirected into scholarships for low-income students.
“I stand by my decision because 1,000 kids from low-income communities received a scholarship to go to school for free,” he said.
Beyond that dispute, Gilzean points to a career centered on education policy, nonprofit leadership and public governance to support his bid for CEO of JWB.
He most recently served as Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, overseeing the transition from the former Reedy Creek Improvement District and managing a complex public entity responsible for infrastructure and services surrounding Walt Disney World.
Prior to that, he was Chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics and President and CEO of the Central Florida Urban League, where he focused on education access, workforce development and community investment. Earlier in his career, he served as vice president at Step Up For Students, a scholarship-granting organization, and as a regional field director for the Florida Department of Education.
He also previously served on the Pinellas County School Board and on the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees.
“My entire career has intersected with children and families,” he said. “I serve at the pleasure of the board.”
The JWB distributes roughly $132 million annually in property tax revenue to programs serving children and families across Pinellas County. Gilzean said his background restructuring organizations, strengthening procurement policies and leading nonprofits prepares him for that responsibility.
“Having someone who has run a nonprofit and understands those experiences is key,” he said.
In contrast to Mikurak’s decade inside JWB and long business consulting career, Gilzean positions himself as a new-generation leader.
“I’m a young, vibrant leader,” he said. “I have the energy to bring this organization into the future.”
With the board evenly divided and the allegations under review, a final decision is expected in April.
