Orange County Public Schools received a surprise announcement Thursday in Tampa.

  • Orange County superintendent wins Florida award
  • The announcement was Thursday in Tampa at a joint conference
  • Dr. Barbara Jenkins has been Orange County superintendent since 2012

Dr. Barbara Jenkins, the superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, was named Florida's 2017 Superintendent of the Year.

The announcement came during the joint conference of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and Florida School Board Association.

Jenkins has been Orange County's superintendent since 2012 and has been in education for more than 25 years.

"I am honored to represent the fine superintendents of Florida," Jenkins said in a statement. "I am also extremely grateful for a phenomenal school board, talented leadership team, outstanding principals and teachers, and OCPS team members who lead our students to success every day."

The process for electing Florida's Superintendent of the Year was established by the American Association of School Administrators, a national organization of school superintendents and other educational leaders.

In March 2017, Jenkins will represent all Florida superintendents at the AASA's National Education Conference in New Orleans, where she will be recognized and honored for her public education service in Florida.