At Leadership Lincoln, our dedicated staff are the backbone of our mission to develop strong leaders for a stronger Lincoln. With a shared commitment to civic engagement, leadership development, and community impact, our team works hand-in-hand with program participants, alumni, and community partners to create transformative experiences. Guided by expertise, passion, and a deep understanding of Lincoln’s needs, our staff ensure that every Leadership Lincoln program empowers emerging and established leaders to make meaningful contributions to our community.
Marthaellen Florence
Marthaellen Florence serves as the Director of Programs and Leadership Development for Leadership Lincoln.
Before joining Leadership Lincoln, Marthaellen served as lead faculty for the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she worked with senior federal leaders on executive presence, inclusive leadership, organizational effectiveness and specialized leadership development courses. In that role, she supported executives from across global and domestic government agencies, as they navigated complex organizational challenges and strengthened their capacity to lead with clarity, credibility, and purpose.
A broadcast journalist by education and trade, Marthaellen brings more than five decades of award-winning experience within the Public Broadcasting System to her work as a leadership coach, facilitator, curriculum developer and educator. Her background in journalism continues to inform her approach to leadership development—grounded in deep listening, thoughtful inquiry, strategic communication, and a commitment to truth and impact.
Early in her professional life, Marthaellen developed a profound commitment to making a meaningful difference through leadership and service. A practitioner and advocate of inclusive leadership, she served on the Biden administration’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) strategic planning committee, contributing to national-level efforts to build more equitable and effective systems of leadership.
From 1998 to 2019, Marthaellen also served as a senior facilitator for The LeaderShape Inc., a nationally recognized six-day immersive leadership institute for college students. In this role, she supported faculty facilitators and up to 75 participants per program through approximately 90 hours of large-group instruction, small-group facilitation, and individual coaching. Over the course of her tenure, she co-facilitated leadership institutes for students from more than 40 colleges and universities, helping emerging leaders clarify values, strengthen ethical decision-making, and lead with integrity.
Her leadership experience spans a broad cross-section of society, both domestically and internationally. Through LeaderShape, Marthaellen worked with students from Xi Jiang University in China, intercultural student groups at York University in Toronto, and visiting Mandela Scholars at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. During her federal service, she facilitated leadership development programs for over 35 agencies. Domestically, the Department of Defense, Social Security Administration, the Veteran’s Administration, National Securities Agency, the United States Airforce, NASA, NOAA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Internationally, USAID, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice in locations including Japan, Germany, and Ghana.
Her community volunteer contributions include; sponsoring reentry programs for formerly incarcerated youth and adults; advocating for educational equity for at-risk students; championing workforce development initiatives for unskilled laborers; supporting life-skills education for student and professional athletes; leading resilience programs for battered women and survivors of sexual assault; advocating for LGBTQ+ rights; and mentoring individuals seeking political office by helping them gain clarity, confidence, and strategic direction.
Having traveled to over 32 countries across six continents, Marthaellen maintains a strong commitment to international service. She actively advocates for individuals with albinism in Zimbabwe through the Alive Albinism Initiative and supports reproductive and human rights for women in Angola through the NGO Mwana PWO.
Among her many board affiliations, Marthaellen has served as interim Executive Director and Board Chair of Malone Community Center, President of KZUM Community Radio, Vice President of the Lincoln Library Board of Trustees, Secretary of Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, and as a board or advisory member for the Lincoln Community Foundation, Sheldon Museum of Art, Flatwater Shakespeare Company, the National Veterans Tribute Network and the editorial advisory board of the Lincoln Journal Star.
A highly respected community leader, Marthaellen, spearheaded the annual Jazz June concert series for over 25 years and continues to serve as community advisor. She has received numerous honors, including the Mayor’s Heart of the Arts Award for 25 years of stewardship of Jazz in June, YWCA Woman of the Year, the NAACP Leola Bullock Community Service Award, recognition as a Leadership Lincoln community co-creator, and a nomination for the Journal Stars 2018 Inspire Award.
