OCALA, FL (352today.com) – College of Central Florida (CF) alumna Mary Sue Rich was awarded the LeRoy Collins “Hometown Hero” Distinguished Alumni Award at the Association of Florida Colleges Annual Conference earlier this month.
Rich was born and raised in Ocala and graduated from Howard High School (now Howard Academy) in 1957. She graduated from what was once Central Florida Community College before earning a degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Rich worked as a corrections officer at Lowell Correctional Institute and Florida Correctional Institute for three-and-a-half years before continuing as a probation and parole officer for 23 years.
She served on the Ocala City Council for 24 years before leaving her post in 2021 and was the first black woman to be elected to the position in 1995, representing the Northwest Ocala district.
Rich has received many honors over the years, including the CF Foundation’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001.
In 2019, the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place was named for her and community activist Ruth Ford Reed to honor their community service.
In a press release, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and CEO of the CF Foundation Chris Knife praised Rich saying, “We are so proud that the Association of Florida Colleges recognized the outstanding qualities, service and leadership Mrs. Rich possesses with this statewide recognition. She truly exemplifies what it means to be a CF alumna.”
The award was named in honor of former Governor LeRoy Collins, a champion of Florida’s college system.