Apopka Arts & Jazz Festival

Christine Moore was elected to her first term on the Orange County School Board in 2008. She is currently chair of the board’s Communication Committee, a member of the Legislative Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida School Boards Association.

Ms. Moore is committed to the preservation of fine arts education in our schools. In February 2010, North Learning Community Superintendent Dr. Cathy Pope and Ms. Moore staged the inaugural Apopka Art and Jazz Festival. Eighteen schools participated in highlighting  art, drama and music programs at the new Apopka Amphitheater.

Ms. Moore, working with the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce, started a School Beautification Award program.  The award is given quarterly to a District 7 school that excels at beautifying its grounds. The school must demonstrate a collaborative effort between parents, students and the community. Dream Lake Elementary School won the inaugural award.

Ms. Moore is the daughter of a high school band director and graduated from Fairport Public Schools in upstate New York.  She is a cum laude graduate in Music Education and Performance from the University of Michigan and was a student of renowned flute instructor Geoffrey Gilbert. She has performed with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Bach Festival Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic, and at numerous events throughout Central Florida.  She was an adjunct instructor at Valencia Community College and is still active teaching and performing.

Ms. Moore also founded a multi-media public relations firm which has helped dozens of local Central Florida residents aspire to serve in public office.  She has served on the Orange County Charter Review Commission, Citizen’s Review Panel and Children’s First Scholarship Organization.  She is a member of the Apopka and West Orange Area chambers of commerce, Apopka High School PTA and Band Boosters, and Northwest Orange Republican Woman’s Club.

Christine Moore lives with her two children, Benjamin and Audra, in Apopka.

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Dr. William R. Gordon, II is a native of Winter Park, Florida. Bill graduated from Winter Park High School in 1980. Focusing on his education he enrolled in Rollins College where he received his Batchelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. He then enrolled in Nova Southeastern University where he received Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and his Doctorate in Education at the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Gordon has been employed by Orange County Public Schools for 28 years. He originally taught at Specific Learning Disabilities at Boone High School. He began his administrative career at University High School 22 years ago as a founding member of the school. He was an assistant principal at Glenridge Middle School, Metro West Elementary School and Bonneville Elementary School before becoming principal at Killarney Elementary School in 1995. Four years later, Dr. Gordon became the principal of his alma mater at Winter Park High School. Winter Park High School has been named a “High Performing School” as a result of their outstanding achievements on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. While at Winter Park High School, U.S. News and World Report ranked Winter Park High School number 154 and placed it in the top 1% of high schools in the nation.

Dr. Gordon is currently the Area Superintendent for the North Learning Community for Orange County Public Schools which is the tenth largest school district in the nation. As the Area Superintendent, he is responsible for managing thirty-five diverse K-12 public schools which serve forty thousand students. He also serves as an adjunct professor in the Doctorate Program in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida. Additionally in 2012, he co-authored an internationally recognized textbook, Developing the Curriculum, which was published by Pearson. The text targets Masters and Doctorate level students who wish to receive an advanced degree in Curriculum Development and Design.

Along with his professional success, Dr. Gordon has been married to his beautiful wife, Patty, for 21 years and has two children; Trey, who is 21 and attends UCF and Whitney, who is 20 and also a student at UCF. He and his family devote much of their time as volunteer puppy trainers for the Canine Companions for Independence Program.

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Dr. Bridget Williams is an area superintendent with Orange County Public Schools. Dr. Williams is a creative and dedicated educator who achieves impressive results on a consistent basis. After earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Health Care Administration and Public Administration at Florida A&M University, she began her career in the healthcare industry, but later realized that her true calling was education. Dr. Williams earned a second Master’s degree in School Guidance at the University of Central Florida, and started her career in 1991 with Orange County Public Schools as a teacher at an alternative education center. She later earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Williams has been a math teacher; middle school guidance counselor; middle school dean of students; high school assistant principal for instruction; senior administrator of instruction/assessment at a learning community (a group of about 35 mostly inner-city schools); middle school principal; high school principal; associate superintendent for specialized student support; and was promoted as an area superintendent in September 2012.

A.member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Dr. Williams volunteers her time with a program that helps African American males in high school. She is also an active member of her church, raising funds for facility expansion and education.