Throughout his career, Glenton "Glen" Gilzean Jr. has been recognized as a courageous leader and advocate for his community.
At the age of 26, Glen began his work to lift up disadvantaged youth and families by creating an educational non-profit organization which provided youth with a safe and nurturing after-school destination. Over three years, Educate Today blossomed into a multimillion-dollar organization, serving hundreds across Florida.
In 2012, Glen brought his advocacy skills to Step up for Students, where along with his team, Glen worked tirelessly in Tallahassee to ensure that families had the right to choose the education path that met their needs, guaranteeing the best development for their children.
In 2016, Glen moved onto his next challenge as President and CEO of the Central Florida Urban League, where he began his advocacy work on behalf of all Central Floridians. Saddled with $1.2 million of debt, in under two years, the CFUL became debt-free and re-established its place as a community leader. In recognition of his efforts, Glen was named one of Central Florida’s CEOs of the year by the Orlando Business Journal in 2019.
Recognizing his unyielding commitment to the people of Central Florida, in 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis asked Glen to oversee the rebirth of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Under Glen’s leadership, the special jurisdiction was returned to Floridians, with restored transparency and reborn as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Under his watch, Glen overhauled policies, introduced new benefits, and successfully filled over 70 positions. To strengthen the District’s connection to the community, Glen introduced the Buy Local program, where over $80 million was infused into the community, while saving taxpayers over $5.3 million in procurement costs. Over 800 vendors registered in the first three months, with approximately 80% being new to the District.
Most recently, Governor DeSantis asked Glen to serve his community once more as the Orange County Supervisor of Elections. In this new role, Glen is responsible to safeguard the sanctity of the electoral process, ensuring that elections are conducted fairly, efficiently, and transparently within the county.
Glen has received eight gubernatorial appointments throughout his career:
In 2024, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Glen as the Orange County Supervisor of Elections. Previously, Governor DeSantis appointed Glen as the District Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (2023), to serve on the Re-Open Florida Task Force (2021), the Florida Census Complete Count Committee (2020) and the Florida Commission on Ethics (2019). Previously, Governor Rick Scott appointed Glen to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (2016), the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Board of Trustees (2013) and to the Pinellas County School Board (2012).
Additionally, Glen is a fellow of the James Madison Institute (JMI) and is a member of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) leadership network. Glenton "Glen" Gilzean Jr. holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Florida and a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of South Florida’s Center of Entrepreneurship.