Jennifer Evins is the president and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida, leading regional arts investment and community-building efforts across Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. An undisputed champion for the arts, Evins oversees an annual budget of $18 million, guides a team of 24 professionals, and supports more than 100 arts, science, and history organizations and individual artists. Under her leadership, United Arts has significantly strengthened its fundraising, with its annual Collaborative Campaign for the Arts surpassing $10 million for the first time in 2025. She is widely recognized for advancing the nonprofit’s mission: inspiring and enriching communities by strengthening culture through strategic collaborations and investments.
With more than 25 years of experience, Evins is known for her ability to bring people and sectors together to shape thriving, creative communities. Her work centers on creative placemaking, designing environments where culture fuels economic vitality, community identity, and shared civic pride. She has a strong track record in the development and operations of cultural facilities, guiding historic preservation, and transforming overlooked spaces into inspiring places for artists, families, and emerging creative businesses.
Prior to joining United Arts in 2021, Evins served as president and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. There, she secured more than $100 million in public and private support for new cultural facilities and community development. Her visionary projects include development of Chapman Cultural Center, repurposing the historic Arcadia Mill into Mayfair Art Studios and founding Silver Hill at Barnet Park, a new urbanism neighborhood uniting residential living with a public park and cultural amenities. She also authored the winning $1 million Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge grant for Seeing Spartanburg in a New Light, a national model for resident-driven public art to address community and police relations. She is author and recipient of multiple National Endowment for the Arts grants.
Evins is deeply committed to regional development, serving on boards including the Orlando Economic Partnership, Visit Orlando, Downtown Orlando Partnership, and the UCF College of Arts and Humanities. She has also contributed to major regional visioning efforts, such as the 2045 Orlando Vision Steering Committee.
Her numerous recognitions reflect her impact, including being named to Orlando Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful People (2022-2025), Orange Appeal Woman of the Year (2024), and the Don Quixote Community Champion Award (2025). Born in Indianapolis and a graduate of Hanover College, Evins is also an alumna of Leadership Orlando and the Black Boardroom Institute. She is the proud mother of two adult children and enjoys golf, tennis and painting in her leisure time.