Leadership Directory

Ms. Rachel Bennett is the Assistant Dean for the College of Public Safety, Public Policy, Legal Studies and Ethics. She is primarily responsible for the workforce programs within the College of Public Safety, Public Policy, Legal Studies and Ethics. She has more than a decade of experience in higher education. Most recently, she was the Academic Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and was a full-time faculty member before that.

Ms. Bennett is a member of the Florida Bar and is active in multiple state and local bar associations. She has taught many classes in the Paralegal Studies and Public Policy programs and continues to teach as an adjunct faculty member. She sees her classroom as a collaborative place where learners work together to develop skills.

As a First-Generation student, Ms. Bennett knows the challenges that students can face in attending college. She received her bachelor's degree in English and American Literature from the University of South Florida and her Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law.

Mr. Jimmy Chang has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics/Theatre from Eckerd College, and a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of South Florida.

Mr. Chang came to SPC in 2000 as an Assistant Professor, teaching courses ranging from Developmental Mathematics to Calculus and Differential Equations. He then served as Academic Chair in 2009, before becoming Dean in late 2012. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Florida Section of the Mathematics Association of America. He is part of the Florida College System’s Statewide Mathematics Council and is also part of the statewide Math Pathways Committee.

Ms. Susan Demers came to the College as the Director for the Legal Assisting Program. The two-year degree program ultimately became a four-year program and officially became the Paralegal Studies Program after approval of the American Bar Association. She also served as the developer of the four-year program in Public Policy and Administration. Additionally, for the past seven years, she has led the collegewide Applied Ethics program.

Along the way, Ms. Demers taught a wide range of law-related and business classes, served as the PTK advisor on the Clearwater Campus for eight years, served on various collegewide committees and championed student activities as a tool for student engagement and success.

The daughter of two teachers, Ms. Demers’s family was relieved when she walked away from the dark side of the practice of law and into the light of the classroom. She is a member of the Florida Bar and is active in multiple state and local bar associations, having served as the President of the Clearwater Bar Association and the Clearwater Bar Foundation. She is active in local community theater and has served on the boards of several local theater nonprofit organizations.

Ms. Demers teaches Trial Advocacy and Technology Enhanced Advocacy as an adjunct at Stetson College of Law. For twenty plus years she and her husband, retired Circuit Judge Dave Demers, have coached competitive trial teams once or twice a year. Last fall, she was inducted into the Stetson College of Law Hall of Fame, which was quite an honor, since her law degree is from the University of Florida!

Dr. Heather Duncan joined the SPC family in 2022 as the Associate Dean of the College of Education. Prior to coming to SPC, she served as Director of Teacher Education and Clinical Practice and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She previously served as Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Special Education in California and began her career as an Exceptional Student Education teacher in elementary school.

Dr. Duncan received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and a master’s degree in special education from the University of Florida in 2002. She completed her doctoral degree at the University of South Florida in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on special education and autism in 2009.

Dr. Duncan is a strong proponent for the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in education and emphasizes the importance of creating flexible options for exceptional learners.

Dr. Amber Estlund is an Assistant Dean of the Communications Department as well as the First-Time Titans Academic Lead. She first joined SPC in 2015 as a full-time faculty member teaching composition/literature. During her time as a faculty member, she was the advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, involved with faculty governance, the co-founder of First to Finished, SPC’s first-generation student outreach initiative, and the QEP faculty lead.

With a passion for first-year students, Dr. Estlund also serves as the First-Time Titans Academic Lead. First-Time Titans is an exploratory First-Year Experience program designed to help first-year students transition to SPC.

Dr. Estlund earned her B.A. in English from Florida State University, her M.A. in British and American Literature from Florida Atlantic University, and her Ph.D. in Literary Studies from Georgia State University. Her research interests include 19th Century American Literature, Modern Drama, and First-Year Student Success

Mr. Michael Ewell is currently the Associate Dean for the College of Business at St. Petersburg College. Mr. Ewell joined St Petersburg College in 1998 as an adjunct instructor for SPC’s Corporate Training division. In his tenure at SPC he has worked on numerous new degree programs and grant projects. He has been with the College of Technology and Management, which is now the College of Business, since 2000 serving as a Consultant, Program Manager and Faculty Member.

In addition to his work at SPC, he has 25 + years of diverse experience in corporate business management as an entrepreneur running family-owned businesses, business consulting, banking operations manager, corporate education manager, and technical support manager.

Mr. Ewell is an SPC alumni with a BAS degree in Technology Management, an AA in Business and an AS in Internet Website Design. He earned an MS degree in Organizational Management from Chadron State College in Nebraska as well as a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Development from the Academic Chair Academy. He holds Diplomas in Banking from the American Institute of Banking and an Accounting Diploma. He has several industry certifications including Certified Internet Website Designer and Certified Instructor.

Mr. Ewell has been a resident of St Petersburg since 1970. His children are both alums of St. Petersburg College. He enjoys science fiction, eBaying, philosophy, and spending time with his children and five grandsons.

Dr. Kimberly Hartman joined St. Petersburg College in 2012 as the Dean of the College of Education, after serving as the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Mississippi since 2007. She previously served as an Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, as well as an Assistant Professor at Gardner-Webb University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. For eight years, she taught at public middle schools in North Carolina.

Dr. Hartman received a doctoral degree in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on teacher education and middle grades education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1996. She also received a master's degree in Educational Research, Evaluation and Testing from Florida State University in 1992, and a bachelor's degree in Intermediate Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1981.

Dr. Hartman's research has focused on teacher education and urban education, including alternative routes to licensure, low wealth schools, and middle school education.

Dr. Emmanuel Hernandez-Agosto joined SPC in 2022, bringing with him expertise as a Business Incubator Manager, as well as in entrepreneurship and community development, and 15 years of experience in higher education in the areas of marketing, recruitment, curriculum development and accelerated learning programs for adult learners. He holds an MBA from Universidad Metropolitana, and a doctoral degree in Business Administration with a specialization in management from Universidad del Turabo.

As Dr. Hernandez-Agosto was working on his dissertation, he focused on studying business incubators and the impact these had on the communities in which they were located. This led him to work on some innovative projects that foster economic development. He worked on a grant to develop a network of business incubators for micro-businesses in Puerto Rico, and also worked in various entrepreneurial training programs led by himself and students in the Bay County area. They invested over 10,000 hours of service, which helped create over ten businesses.

In previous years, Dr. Hernandez-Agosto was an Associate Dean running the professional studies school at the Universidad Ana G. Mendez in Puerto Rico.

He enjoys spending time with my family, hiking, taking road trips around nature and playing chess and volleyball.

Dr. Barbara Hubbard has a comprehensive academic leadership career in the greater Tampa Bay region, including Academic Chair at St. Petersburg College, Campus Director at Eckerd College, Dean at the Art Institute of Tampa, and Program Director at USF–St. Petersburg.

Dr. Hubbard began her career at St. Petersburg College as an adjunct instructor and advanced to the Academic Chair of the Digital Media program at the Seminole Campus. She has been instrumental in updating the program’s curriculum, academic standards, and portfolio quality, as well as updating program branding and marketing efforts. Her collaboration with the Digital Media department in these changes has increased both their enrollment and A.S./Certificate graduation rates.

Dr. Hubbard has a strong community network that includes working closely with the Clearwater Public Art & Design Committee, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin Arts and Culture Advisory Council, Pinellas County Cultural Task Force, and Pinellas County Schools. She has presented at numerous conferences and workshops and her own creations have been exhibited at various local venues.

Dr. Hannah Johnson is the South County Assistant Dean for the Mathematics Department at St. Petersburg College. She strives to support SPC’s mission of cultivating a culture of care for those served by SPC and the college’s employees. 

Dr. Johnson first joined SPC in 2012 as an Adjunct Instructor in the Mathematics Department. In 2014, she became a Full-Time Faculty member in the Mathematics Department. In 2022, she served as the Lead Faculty member for the Downtown/Midtown Mathematics Department before assuming the role of Assistant Dean in August 2023. 

Dr. Johnson graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from St. Petersburg College in 2006. Later, she attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics Education from the University of South Florida in 2008 and completed her Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Florida in 2011. In 2017, she attained an Education Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction. In 2021, she completed a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Assessment from the University of West Florida.

Norene Kemp earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Information Technology Systems at Johns Hopkins University, and she came to SPC from Wake Tech Community College (WTCC), where she served as the department head of Programming and Information Sciences for three years. She was responsible for three degree programs, including Business Analytics, Computer Programming and Data Science. Her position included significant collaboration responsibilities with local industry leaders, which lead to 100% intern-to-hire statistics with many of those companies. Kemp grew the department from 10 to 17 full-time faculty members and 20 adjuncts, and she created an active programming club to foster student engagement as well as peer-to-peer tutoring.

Prior to her time at the WTCC, Kemp spent 10 years at Horry Georgetown Community College as a programming professor in Conway, South Carolina, as well as 10 years at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, as a Technical Project Manager for the Department of Information Systems.

In addition, Kemp has continued her teaching career at WTCC, and taught for Coastal Carolina University and Concordia University.

Pelagia Kilgore has been a professor in the mathematics department at St. Petersburg College, since 2000. Dr. Kilgore's journey into the world of mathematics education began in 1995.

With a career spanning over two and a half decades. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Mathematics Education, Qualitative research, and Instructional technology from the University of South Florida.

Her commitment to education is further exemplified by her administrative roles. She previously served as the Instructor in Charge of Mathematics at the Tarpon Springs Campus. Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Dean of Mathematics for North County.

Dr. Laurie King earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She practiced law for 10 years before beginning her career in education.

Laurie began working as an adjunct instructor for St. Petersburg College in 2005. In 2010, she join the Applied Ethics Department as a full-time faculty member. She has participated in Leadership SPC, and for two years served as the Seminole Campus FGO chair.

Laurie is a contributing author of The Moral Compass: An Introductory Guide to Critical Thinking and Applied Ethics. She also served for 10 years as a member of the Board of Directors for the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions. Laurie was the Instructor-in-Charge of the Applied Ethics Department prior to beginning her role as Assistant Dean.

Mr. Joseph Leopold has served as the director of Learning Resources at St. Petersburg College since 2012. He headed up the process that combined libraries and tutoring to make out-of-class support more intentional and learner-centered. The centers have now become the learning hubs on each of SPC's campuses.

Mr. Leopold began his career at SPC as a full-time instructor in Communications in 1991, teaching writing, rhetoric and composition and, later, political science and anthropology. From 2005-08, he served as Faculty Senate President. In 2008, he was named Academic Department Chairman for Social and Behavioral Sciences on the Clearwater Campus.

Leopold has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Florida State University and is a doctoral candidate in education and leadership at Barry University.

John Long is the Associate Dean for the College of Computer and Information Technology (CCIT) at St. Petersburg College.

He began as an adjunct instructor with St. Petersburg College in 1999 and served as an Academic Chair for CCIT from 2014 – 2023 when he assumed the role of Associate Dean. John has over 20 years of industry experience in software training/database administration and was an Instructional Staff Developer for the Career, Technical, and Adult Education Department with Pinellas County Schools for 9 years prior to accepting a full-time position at the college.

John was instrumental in developing the departmental process for aligning industry certifications to the content for many of the CCIT courses which provides students the opportunity to take the exams at no cost upon successful completion of the courses.
He has earned many industry certifications and over the years has taught and developed a variety of courses in the Networking, Technology Management, and Cybersecurity programs at both lower and upper division levels.

John has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration degree with a specialization in Information Systems, both from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Natavia Middleton joined St. Petersburg College in 2015 as an Academic Chair for Natural Sciences, before being appointed Dean of Natural Sciences and Engineering in 2017. Over the past several years, she worked in higher education in several capacities: a biological sciences instructor, Principal Investigator of a National Science Foundation grant, Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences, and a Program Coordinator.

Dr. Middleton's professional interests involve building SPC’s reputation in the scientific community, as well as strengthening critical thinking skills for students in STEM. She worked with various leaders of community colleges in South Carolina to propose changes to STEM education to be implemented statewide.

Dr. Middleton earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of South Carolina and a doctoral degree in Basic Medical Sciences from the University of South Alabama.

Dr. Grace Moore is the Assistant Dean of the Department of Natural Sciences (North County) at St. Petersburg College. She first joined the SPC in 2015 as a Full-Time Faculty teaching Chemistry at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs campus, and later transitioned to the Clearwater campus in 2019. 

With a passion for fostering academic excellence and elevating student engagement, Dr. Moore is the advisor for the Tau Zeta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the Clearwater campus. Previously, she was the advisor for the Chemistry Club at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs campus. 

Before her tenure at St. Petersburg College, Dr. Moore served as Lecturer for the Chemistry Department at Georgia State University. Her multifaceted roles extended to serving as a faculty mentor for the International Faculty Mentoring Program and course coordinator for General Chemistry Lectures. Dr. Moore's profound dedication extended beyond the classroom, where she also assumed roles as faculty advisor for two student associations: Operation Smile and Medical Students Making a Difference. 

Dr. Moore's academic journey began when she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Chemistry from the Honors College at the University of Arkansas. Her pursuit of excellence led her to being awarded a Doctoral Academy Fellowship, through which she completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Arkansas.  Her graduate research encompassed synthesizing, investigating surface chemistry, and exploring doping methodologies for colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, colloquially referred to as quantum dots.

Nathan Muehl is the Associate Dean of Arts, Humanities and Design and Director of Bands at St. Petersburg College (SPC). A certified Franklin/Covey presenter, Muehl has facilitated 7 Habits of Highly Effective People training to hundreds. He brings a passion for effective time management approaches, interpersonal communication strategies, and assisting in the creation of effective mission statements and strategic plans.

Muehl is a known professional within SPC culture and throughout the arts/education communities of Pinellas County. He guides SPC's Community Concert Band and Community Wind Symphony presenting a variety of performances with High School Connections, Community Connections, Campus Connections, and Composer in Residence themes.

Muehl earned degrees in music education and business from The Ohio State University. He is currently a PhD candidate in Leadership and Education at Barry University (Miami, FL).

Dr. Bledar Prifti is an Assistant Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Human Services for the South County as of August 2023. He has been with SPC as a full-time employee since August 2015 serving as an Associate Professor of Political Science. His journey with the college dates back in August 2004 when he started learning English as a Second Language (ESL) at the St. Pete/Gibbs campus and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Safety Administration, the Law Enforcement specialization track, in December 2007.

Dr. Prifti also holds a Doctorate degree in Government and a Master's degree in Comparative Politics and International Relations from University of South Florida. He is the author of the book entitled US Foreign Policy in the Middle East: The Case for Continuity, a book endorsed by the world-renowned International Relations professor, John J. Mearsheimer. Dr. Prifti was born and raised in Albania and moved to the USA as a permanent resident in 2004. He currently lives in Clearwater, Florida, together with his wife and two children.

Dr. Rivero has been with SPC for eight years and has thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. As an Assistant Dean with the College of Social/Behavioral Sciences and Human Services, Dr. Rivero is tasked with a variety of academic and administrative functions. These include overseeing adjunct/full-time teaching, developing engaging out-of-classroom activities, creating the schedule for three campus sites, and promoting several major civic engagement projects. Examples of such projects include the Constitution Day Oratorical Contest at Seminole, SPC’s Great Debate and the Florida College System’s Grand Debate. as someone who served for two years with AmeriCorps, the US’s civilian service corps, civic engagement is something that pumps through Dr. Rivero’s veins. Additionally, Dr. Rivero oversees SPC’s award-winning Model United Nations (MUN) team. This is a wonderful academic program that helps nurture key academic skills for students, such as public speaking, research, diplomacy and writing. MUN also helps Dr. Rivero tap into his passion for politics and international relations. In fact, he currently serves as the Chair of Public Policy for the Florida Political Science Association. Prior to serving as an Assistant Dean, Dr. Rivero was the Chair for Social/Behavioral Sciences at the Seminole Campus.

Dr. Rivero arrived at SPC from Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) where he served as the Political Science Department Chair for six years. At BCU, he was the faculty advisor for Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society) and MUN Altogether, Dr. Rivero enjoyed working at an HBCU and helping first-generation minorities reach their academic potential. Before serving BCU, Dr. Rivero was an academic advisor at FIU charged with advising and improving the retention rates of first-generation and socioeconomically disadvantaged minority students.

In terms of academic credentials, Dr. Rivero has a BA in Environmental Studies and an MA and PhD in Political Science from Florida International University (FIU). Further, he obtained a Graduate Certificate in College Leadership from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and will be graduating with an MA in Educational Leadership from UCF in December 2023.

Finally, Dr. Rivero has two amazing daughters who are learning sponges and an amazing and creative wife. Together, their hobbies include museums, animals, parks, and anything educational.

Dr. Joseph Smiley currently serves as Dean of the Social/Behavioral Sciences and Human Services Department. Over his years of teaching and administrative experience, he has served as a Professor of economics, Program Director of the Social Sciences and Business Technology Departments, and the lower division Education program. He has over 30 years of experience teaching economics and college experience, beginning as an instructor in 1981.

Dr. Smiley has served as dean since 2009, where he oversees three academic organizations, including Social & Behavioral Sciences, Human Services, and Psychology. His special interests include developing student retention measures, working with faculty on strategies to maximize student success, and working to promote student civic learning and community engagement. His daily theme is, “Every day is a good day for teaching and learning.”

Actively involved in surrounding communities, Dr. Smiley currently provides workshops around the region on parental strategies for helping children succeed in school, the intergenerational impact of drugs and crime, the impact of mentoring, and community educational and economic development. He has served for 24 years as one of the coordinators of the Alpha Institute Teen Leadership Program, a mentoring program designed to assist Pinellas County at-risk middle and high school boys in preparing for manhood.

Dr. Smiley has received numerous awards for service, including the Martin Luther King Man of the Year Award for Community Service, the Community Transitional Leadership Award, the State Eleventh District Community Service Award, and the Clearwater Bar Association Liberty Bell Award.

Dr. Smiley received his bachelor’s degree from Florida A & M University, master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, and doctoral degree from Argosy University.

Deanna Stentiford joined the SPC family in 2018 after serving 25 years at one of our sister colleges. She began her career as a clinical dental hygienist, which she still enjoys doing in clinical practice on occasions. For the first 15 years of her education career, she worked in the student services side of the college and then transferred into academic affairs as she developed, taught, and directed health programs. 

For the last 15 years, Ms. Stentiford has enjoyed being in administrative positions, leading health sciences divisions in the leadership role. She has received the Champion of Service Award from our Governor and recently received the prestigious Department of Defense Patriot Award for her support of employees of the College of Health Sciences who are currently serving in the military. 

Ms. Stentiford holds a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene from West Liberty University, a master’s degree from University of Central Florida in Educational Leadership, and she earned her educational specialist degree and is working on doctoral studies at the University of Florida. She has also served as a site visitor for the Commission on Dental Accreditation for the past 20 years and was appointed Commissioner to the Board of Commissioners for CODA. Ms. Stentiford's passion is working with students in their programs and the development of new programs. When not working, she enjoys quiet time on the sand with her two children.     

Ian Wilson Sr. is an Assistant Dean of the communications department at St. Petersburg College.

In his previous role, Ian Sr. was a tenured Professor, in the communication department, at St. Petersburg College (SPC) and an online Adjunct instructor at the HCC - Ybor City Campus.

Ian Sr. earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Special Education, he earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Supervision and earned a Master of Arts in English Education from the University of South Florida.

His career in education includes 11 years as a college instructor, three years as a public charter school administrator, eight years as a public school teacher, and numerous years as an exceptional student education specialist. Ian Sr. also performed duties in many leadership roles. In addition, he was a middle school team leader and Site Coordinator for the 500 (now 5000) Role Models of Excellence mentoring program. Furthermore, Ian Wilson is a motivational speaker and a former substance abuse counselor.