WOMEN’S ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Central Florida Woman of the Year

Pamela Landwirth

President & CEO, Give Kids the World

Pamela has been part of Give Kids The World since 1992 and was chosen to lead the Village in 1995. As President and CEO, she is responsible for the operations of the Village and all strategic advancement initiatives for the organization.

Prior to joining the Village, Pamela developed an extensive background in resort operations management, human resource development, and project planning from her 16 years with the Walt Disney World Company. After leaving Disney in 1993, Pamela was a consultant to the President and CEO of Hard Rock Cafe in all areas of human resources, organizational development, and strategic planning.

Under Pamela's leadership, virtually every aspect of the Village has been transformed. The Village more than doubled in size, from 32 acres to 84 acres. The number of villas grew from 56 in 1995 to 166 today. Eleven new venues and attractions have been added, including Julie's Safari Theatre, Matthew's Boundless Playground, the Amberville Train Station, Towne Hall, Twinkle Hope's Rockin' Spa, Banyan Park, Lori's Magical Flight and, most recently, Kelly's Sunny Swing. Volunteer shifts have quadrupled, from 421 to more than 1,600 per week.

But most importantly, the number of families who visit Give Kids The World Village each year has grown from 3,949 in 1995 to more than 8,000 today. Pamela is tirelessly dedicated to every family who visits the Village, and she works daily to carry out Give Kids The World's mission of creating happiness that inspires hope for each of our guests.

In addition to her work at the Village, Pamela is a highly sought-after speaker in the nonprofit world. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards and currently sits on the Executive Advisory Board for the Something mAAgic Foundation and the University of Central Florida's Nonprofit Advisory Board. She has a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Georgia and a master's degree in Business Administration from Rollins College. In 2017 Pamela was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame. Most recently, she released her newest book "On Purpose: How Engagement Drives Success."