As Vice President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF), Dr. Ronetta Wards provides executive leadership for the organization's strategic initiatives, research and evaluation, partnerships, and organizational effectiveness. Working closely with President Rachael Tutwiler Fortune and the leadership team, she helps advance JPEF's mission by strengthening systems, developing leaders, and fostering partnerships that improve educational outcomes for students and communities across Northeast Florida.
With more than 25 years of experience in education, nonprofit leadership, and philanthropy, Dr. Wards has served in a variety of leadership roles dedicated to improving educational outcomes and strengthening the organizations that serve students. Her professional experience includes serving as a high school science teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of school improvement and support, district Chief Information Officer, and executive leader supporting school systems, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic institutions.
Throughout her career, Dr. Wards has led initiatives focused on strategic planning, leadership development, research and evaluation, organizational effectiveness, STEM education, teacher development, literacy, and community engagement. She is known for helping organizations translate vision into action by building leadership capacity, strengthening systems, and using data and research to drive meaningful, measurable impact.
Dr. Wards earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a Master of Science in Secondary Science Education from the University of North Florida, a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Ashland University, and a Ph.D. in K–12 Educational Administration with a concentration in Urban Education from Michigan State University.
She serves on the City of Jacksonville Mayor's African American Advisory Board, is a board member for Brown Girls in the Boardroom, is a member of Societas Docta, Inc., maintains membership in the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), and is an alumna of Leadership Florida's Education Class of 2026. Her work and research focus on leadership development, organizational effectiveness, strategic foresight, and designing future-ready systems that strengthen educational and nonprofit organizations.