Polk State's Oguntola Receives Community Leadership Award

Andy Oguntola, director of the Polk State College J.D. Alexander Center, was presented with the Community Leadership Award at the Thursday, May 9 annual awards gala of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council.

Past winner Brian Marbutt of Citizens Bank and Trust presented the award and announced to the crowd that Oguntola had recently completed his doctorate in higher education leadership.

Oguntola started out by thanking "Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior" and then also his wife, Porsha, who is patient with his many community activities. He also thanked his entire team at Polk State College.

He said he was humbled by the award because, "Everybody in here is a leader."

Oguntola joined Polk in November 2017 after serving as an adjunct professor and director of admissions and registration at Valencia College. He received his bachelor's degree in pre-law, a master's in business administration and a doctorate in higher education leadership.

Oguntola is a co-founder of the Lake Wales Seahawks youth football team and a recent graduate of Leadership Lake Wales. He serves on the boards of Lake Wales Main Street, the Lake Wales Arts Council and the Lake Wales Family Literacy Academy and as a Lake Wales Charter School trustee and member of the McLaughlin Middle School Advisory Council. He also serves as vice chair of the Chamber and chair of the Economic Development Commission.