ORLANDO, FL (November 30. 2022) — The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) announced that Executive Director Laura Kelley has informed the board of her intention to retire effective March 1, 2023.
Ms. Kelley accepted the CFX Executive Director position in 2014 when the Florida Legislature expanded the jurisdiction of the agency from Orange County to include the City of Orlando, Seminole County, Lake County and Osceola County. Brevard County was added three years later. Since stepping into the Executive Director position, Ms. Kelley and the CFX team have been focused on safety, innovation, customer service, environmental stewardship and sustainability while meeting the extensive transportation challenges of the region. Today the agency manages the daily operations of a 125-mile expressway system and a $4 billion-dollar Five-Year Work Plan.
Under Ms. Kelley’s leadership, the agency has adopted a “Customer First” philosophy leading to innovative programs such as the expansion of customer services by opening drive-up Reload Lanes on expressways, starting the Visitor Toll Pass Program in partnership with the Orlando International Airport, and saving commuters millions of dollars through toll discounts. Numerous cutting-edge safety and technology improvements have been installed on CFX expressways under her guidance, including the award winning wrong-way driver detection systems. Ms. Kelley’s prudent management style has led to a strengthened financial position and upgraded bond ratings.
Previously, Ms. Kelley served as executive director of the Florida Transportation Commission and financial manager for the Florida Department of Transportation. She is a graduate of Florida State University’s College of Business.
“Ms. Kelley’s retirement next year will mark the end of a remarkable career with CFX,” said Sean Parks, the CFX Board Chair and Lake County Commissioner. “Ms. Kelley’s steadfast commitment to service and operational excellence has guided this Agency to even stronger financial footing, delivering the largest five-year work plans in our history. We want to thank her for shaping CFX’s purpose and culture by building an experienced, talented team, expanding regional partnerships, and delivering long-term sustainable value for years to come. I certainly look forward to discussing CFX’s succession plan at the upcoming board meeting.”
About the Central Florida Expressway Authority
The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is an independent agency of the State of Florida that operates and maintains a regional network of expressways for 3.3 million residents of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties and over 75 million annual visitors to Central Florida. CFX’s 125-centerline mile, user-funded system which includes 73 interchanges, 14 mainline toll plazas, 5 mainline gantries, 76 ramp toll plazas and 343 bridges. On average, over 1.3 million toll transactions are recorded daily, over 95 percent of them electronically. CFX operates E-PASS, the first electronic toll collection system in Florida, with over 1 million E-PASS accounts. For more information, visit CFXway.com.
Media Contact: Brian Hutchings, Manager of Communications