President's Welcome Letter
Dear Crimson Nation:
I am honored to step into my role serving the Greater Orlando Harvard Community and eagerly anticipate the chance to connect with each of you.
Our mission is clear: to foster a vibrant and engaged Harvard community here in Central Florida. Central to our success are the dedicated individuals on our Board of Directors, whose tireless efforts shape the future of our Club. I extend heartfelt thanks to our alumni volunteers who selflessly contribute as Directors. Congratulations to our newly appointed leaders:
Saadia Munir EDM '24 - Programming Chair
Martin Fernandez MBA '16 - Entrepreneurship Chair (Programming subcommittee)
Cesar Estremadoyro GMP '20 - Membership Chair
As your new leadership team, we are committed to curating enriching programs, organizing exciting activities, and creating networking opportunities that bring our alumni together. Our website is regularly updated with the latest information, so please visit often to stay informed.
However, our journey is just beginning, and we need your help to achieve our goals. We actively seek enthusiastic and diverse candidates to join our Board of Directors. If you are interested in serving, please reach out to our Club Administrator at HarvardClubCF@gmail.com.
It's important to note that our Club is solely supported by your membership dues, without any funding from Harvard. If you haven't already, please consider joining or renewing your membership through our website (https://hccentralflorida.clubs.harvard.edu/memsub.html). If you have any questions or need assistance, our Club Administrator is here to help.
Looking ahead, we are excited to unveil a diverse lineup of events:
Entrepreneurial Events
Cultural Events
Sporting Events
Leadership Events
Speaker Events
Networking Events
Warm regards,
Deepa Fernandes Prabhu ALM ‘09
President
Harvard Club of Central Florida
Club History
The Club was formally organized in Winter Park in 1942 after several years of informal gatherings that had consisted mostly of winter resident alumni. The Club's first President was Maxwell A. Kilvert '89; among his immediate successors was Edward Gurney LLB '38 who would later represent Florida in the U.S. Senate. Several past Presidents dating back to the 1960's remain active members in the Club to this day. The Club was incorporated as a Florida non-profit corporation in 1976 but slipped into a brief period of dormancy a few years later before being reactivated in 1981. Since that time the Club's membership and activities have grown steadily, mirroring the tremendous population growth in Central Florida.
The Club is based geographically in metropolitan Orlando, but also serves a 9-county territory that sweeps from Flagler, Volusia and Marion Counties southward along the Space Coast. College alumni/ae comprise about 40% of the club membership with the remainder coming from the various Graduate Schools, retired faculty/staff and parents of current undergraduates.