Paving the Road to Success

In an industry traditionally led by men, three Florida State alumnae have risen to the top as senior level executives at one of the largest toll road agencies in the country.

By Dan Tracy

Three women – all graduates of Florida State University – have paved the path to the top executive level at the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), Metro Orlando’s transportation network that supports tens of millions of travelers each year. Executive Director Laura Kelley (B.S. ’84), Chief Financial Officer Lisa Lumbard (B.S. ’93) and Chief of Staff/Public Affairs Officer Michelle Maikisch (B.S. ’89) were promoted to their roles in 2014 after the precursor to CFX, the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority, was reconfigured and expanded.

One of the largest toll road agencies in the nation, CFX’s five-year, $2.5 billion workplan includes the design and construction of major expressways, new transportation technologies, roadway expansion, and the maintenance of a financial operation that processes over one million transactions daily, 85% of them electronically. CFX also operates the electronic toll pass, E-PASS, including the FSU-branded NolePass that allows fans to drive with pride with a customized toll sticker for discounts and convenience.

State Road 408, the backbone of CFX's 125-mile network, leading into Downtown Orlando.

“The Central Florida Expressway Authority’s demonstrated success in delivering innovative mobility solutions to a region where population growth far outpaces infrastructure demand is a testament to the talented executives that lead the agency,” said Jay Madara, CFX governing board member. “With more than 50 years of combined experience in infrastructure and tolling operations, Laura Kelley, Lisa Lumbard and Michelle Maikisch are some of the most effective leaders I’ve had the pleasure to work with – the future of transportation in Central Florida is in good hands with these three Noles at the helm.”

Kelley joined the authority in 2006 as the director of finance and administration and temporarily filled the executive director role. Lumbard was hired in 1998 as a staff accountant/assistant manager of the E-Pass service center, while Maikisch joined the authority in 2008 as the public affairs coordinator. The years they spent at the agency before moving into their current positions were important, Kelley said, because they learned to trust and look out for each other. “We’ve always approached things as a team; we confided in each other and gave each other advice. It was a natural fit.”

CFX’s expressway system continues to make a positive impact on Central Florida. The alumnae’s commitment to a customer-first culture has earned the agency a rare 97% customer satisfaction rating. The three alumnae credit Florida State for preparing them to not only enter the workforce upon graduation, but also for their success at CFX. They reflect on their fond memories of their days at FSU.

Growing up in Tallahassee, Kelley rented a room behind Doak Campbell Stadium when she attended FSU in the early 1980s. The oldest of seven siblings whose father died when she was 15, she took several part-time jobs as she worked her way through school. Typically punching the keys of a cash register or balancing accounting ledgers as a bookkeeper, Kelley said she was “all about getting the education” during her undergraduate days. Though she enjoyed attending football games and experiencing the nightlife along the Tennessee Street corridor, Kelley said her days at FSU were very serious. “It wasn’t about the social experience for me,” she said. “FSU taught me that I really loved going to work.”

LAURA KELLEY | Executive Director

Laura Kelley

Photo by Judy Tracy

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business, she landed a job right after graduation in the accounting department of a Tallahassee engineering firm. Within five years, she had become the company’s chief financial officer. From there, she moved to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), over time becoming the manager of the financial department. Then she was named executive director of the Florida Transportation Commission, the citizen's oversight board for FDOT, and the state’s expressway and regional transportation authorities. These jobs set her up for the leap to CFX and, eventually, the No. 1 job at the agency.

She advises young women at FSU to consider pursuing a career in transportation, possibly through an engineering degree, because jobs are plentiful in the industry. The state’s continual influx of new residents, she said, creates a seemingly unending need not only for more roads, but also other forms of getting from Point A to Point B, including mass transit. “Our state is growing at a phenomenal rate,” she said. “There’s just so many opportunities to learn and work.”

Kelley describes her management style as collaborative and open to hearing other points of view. One of her first decisions when taking over at CFX was to go on a listening tour with area leaders, seeking their opinions on the role her agency should play. “Anything worth building is worth building right,” she said. “We don’t pretend to know everything.”

LISA LUMBARD | Chief Financial Officer

Lisa Lumbard

Photo by Judy Tracy

Lumbard, a Life Member of the FSU Alumni Association, knew very little about the authority when she came in for her first interview back in 1998, just five years after graduating from FSU. She had been working as an accountant for a wealth management firm in Winter Park and unsure if she wanted to change jobs. “I didn’t know what a transponder or an E-PASS was,” Lumbard said, referring to the agency’s program that electronically debits tolls for the user when passing through a tolling plaza. She was intrigued by the intricacies of the business and the level of talent so she quickly learned all she could about the agency, acing her next two interviews and receiving the job offer. Now, she is enthralled with her job – even after almost 21 years at the agency – because of the agency’s wide-ranging impact. “Transportation affects everyone in the community,” she said. “You can do a lot to help your community.”

A Leesburg, Florida, native and the youngest of nine children, FSU was Lumbard’s first choice for her post-secondary education. She loved attending football games and also partook in a few evenings at The Phyrst before it closed. Before the start of her senior year, Lumbard met with an academic counselor who recommended she take two classes that would qualify her for a double major, adding finance to her chosen field of international business. Finance, she knew, was important to her plans for a career in the business world, but she had not considered it as job in and of itself. “FSU taught me to use the tools I had available and to look for more,” she said.

Lisa Lumbard Once she graduated, all of her jobs revolved around finance and numbers — always the numbers. “Debits and credits, no matter what,” Lumbard said, though she added she enjoys the challenge the work provides. “Every day is not the same,” she said. “I may have something planned when I come in, but it may change.”

MICHELLE MAIKISCH | Chief of Staff/Public Affairs Officer

Michelle Maikisch

Photo by Judy Tracy

Maikisch, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in marketing, never considered going to any school other than FSU. A native of the small town of Cottondale in North Florida, Maikisch’s brother, aunts and cousins were all proud Florida State alumni and she could not wait to continue the legacy. “FSU was my only choice,” she said. “That was just a part of who we were.” Maikisch, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in marketing, never considered going to any school other than FSU. A native of the small town of Cottondale in North Florida, Maikisch’s brother, aunts and cousins were all proud Florida State alumni and she could not wait to continue the legacy. “FSU was my only choice,” she said. “That was just a part of who we were.”

Her education prepared her for what would become one of her main roles upon graduation, speaking with elected officials and community groups. Specifically, one communications class taught her the basics of public speaking by assigning her and fellow students presentation assignments almost every time they gathered. “I feel like I received a great education,” she said. “The professors certainly were engaging.” Her education prepared her for what would become one of her main roles upon graduation, speaking with elected officials and community groups. Specifically, one communications class taught her the basics of public speaking by assigning her and fellow students presentation assignments almost every time they gathered. “I feel like I received a great education,” she said. “The professors certainly were engaging.”

Like Kelley, Maikisch also worked part-time jobs while at FSU, including positions in the College of Communication’s Dean’s Office and the Florida Department of Highway Safety where she compiled accident statistics. However, it wasn’t all work and no play for Maikisch. She rarely missed a home football game and enjoyed hanging out at one of the legendary restaurants located on Jefferson Street across from campus, The Phyrst – just like Lumbard. Like Kelley, Maikisch also worked part-time jobs while at FSU, including positions in the College of Communication’s Dean’s Office and the Florida Department of Highway Safety where she compiled accident statistics. However, it wasn’t all work and no play for Maikisch. She rarely missed a home football game and enjoyed hanging out at one of the legendary restaurants located on Jefferson Street across from campus, The Phyrst – just like Lumbard.

Following graduation, Maikisch found her passion in road construction due to its long-lasting effect on the community. The realization hit her one day as she was standing near a bridge that was being built. “This is going to be here 30 years, 50 years, who knows how long?” she thought. Following graduation, Maikisch found her passion in road construction due to its long-lasting effect on the community. The realization hit her one day as she was standing near a bridge that was being built. “This is going to be here 30 years, 50 years, who knows how long?” she thought. Michelle Maikisch

The three alumnae agree that the key to succeeding in your career is finding employment that stirs an inner passion. However, they also advise students and recent alumni not to automatically reject a job that may not have been in their “master plan.”

“If an opportunity arises, don’t be afraid to take it,” Lumbard said. “It might be different than what you thought you wanted, but you never know where that road may go.” Featured alumnae photos by Judy Tracy