Marcia Hope Goodwin is the City of Orlando’s first Chief Service Officer and the Director of the Office of Community Affairs, one of Mayor Buddy Dyer’s executive offices. She has served in several capacities in Mayor Dyer’s administration since 2003, including Interim Press Secretary in 2004. As Director of Community Affairs, Marcia is a member of the Mayor’s senior staff, who serves as a lead liaison for the Mayor, the Orlando City Commissioners and city staff with the arts and cultural, non-profit, human service, faith-based, civic and volunteer sectors of Orlando. She also represents the city on several key arts and civic organization boards. The Office of Community Affairs creates partnerships with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life by awarding grants, facilitating impactful collaborations and coordinating city support.
Marcia began her public service career with Orlando city government in 1992 when she was appointed by Mayor Glenda Hood as the founding Director of the city’s first Neighborhood Services Office and has served in several leadership roles during her tenure. In 2010, she led Mayor Dyer’s effort to make Orlando a Leadership Grant recipient and member of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Cities of Service Coalition, resulting in the Orlando Cares Volunteer program and subsequent Bloomberg Philanthropies’ grants totaling $500,000. She also coordinated Mayor Dyer’s effort to establish Orlando’s first Poet Laureate in 2017, including managing the 2021 Poet Laureate search, which resulted in the selection of Shawn Welcome as Orlando’s new Poet Laureate in October 2021. Previously, Marcia held positions as Public Information Director for WLRN Public Broadcasting in Miami; Staff Writer for the Orlando Sentinel and Founding Editor of the Orlando Times Newspaper.
Marcia was recognized with a: 2022 Orlando Magic/Florida Blue Social Justice Game Changer Award; 2018 ‘Woman on the Move’ Award from Onyx Magazine; 2017 National Service Champion Award from U.S. AmeriCorps; 2016 Harambee Award from the BlackBusiness Investment Fund, Inc.; 2008 Drum Major Award for Civic Affairs from the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity among other recognitions.
She serves on many civic and arts boards, including United Arts of Central Florida, the Peace and Justice Institute, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Metro Orlando YMCA, Downtown Arts District, City Year Orlando and the Orlando Ballet.
Marcia credits her parents, the late Nathaniel R. and Jeanne Evans, Sr. and her grandparents, the late Roy and Rosa Edge, Sr. with teaching her the values of faith, family, education, a strong work ethic and service to others. She is married to Kenneth Goodwin and they have two adult daughters, Nia Hope Bess and Imani D. Hope, one grandson, Alexandre, II and a son-in-law, Alexandre M. Bess, Sr. Marcia’s passions are her faith, her family and her community.
