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Carol Carlan and Hailey Lotz
Just when attendees at Carol Carlan’s 3rd Annual AlltogetHer Conference 2025 thought it couldn’t get any better, it did – and in epic proportions.
This year’s conference theme, Hope, set the stage for influential women in all sectors of the Greater Pensacola community to share their stories and meaningful conversations.
Pensacola State College’s Hailey Lotz, Executive Director of Development, Alumni and Athletics, took the stage with a dual purpose – delivering an inspiring presentation as one of the eight distinguished female speakers while also representing PSC in a profound act of generosity.
Hailey shared how her professional journey, before her time at Pensacola State and in her current role, has centered around restoring hope for those in need.
Then, in a moment that captured the true essence of the event, Lotz extended that same spirit of giving to Carol, presenting a $13,500 check from the PSC Alumni Association as a supporting partner of the Carol Carlan Legacy Leadership Endowed Scholarship at Pensacola State College. The original $12,500 donation from Carol was matched by the PSC Alumni Association to establish a $25,000 endowment. However, Carol’s passion for immediate student support led to a heartfelt decision – she and the Alumni Association each contributed an additional $1,000, ensuring that $2,000 would be available immediately to help students this semester.
This scholarship benefits students with a 3.0 grade point average or higher who are enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program at Pensacola State.
AlltogetHer presenters with Carol Carlan
“The PSC Alumni Association Board of Directors are fully behind matching Carol’s contribution and are thrilled to be a part of her desire to pay it forward. We know how much this means to Carol and how she intimately understands the difference an opportunity like this can make for someone attending PSC,” stated Lotz.
This meaningful donation honors Carol’s unwavering dedication to empowering Pensacola State College students, ensuring that hope remains at the heart of their educational pursuits.
Carol’s journey began at Pensacola Junior College (now Pensacola State College) as a music major on scholarship for the clarinet. However, a mentor recognized her exceptional aptitude for finance and encouraged her to explore a different path – one that would offer stability and long-term success. Taking that advice to heart, Carol pivoted. She ultimately became a trailblazer in the financial sector and never forgot the foundation that PSC (then PJC) provided.
“I visited PJC, and I just loved the campus. It was really more suited to me. The class sizes were smaller. It was very personable. It was just that warm environment that I needed,” Carol reflected.
A Pensacola State College graduate and past president-emeritus of the Pensacola State College Foundation, Carol has served on the PSC District Board of Trustees since 1999. She is the longest serving trustee in the history of the college.
Working in the financial services industry for over 35 years, she served as the first female president of a large regional bank in the Florida Panhandle. In 2007, she formed Carlan Consulting LLC, a leadership development company.
Carol has been recognized as Business Leader of the Year by the Pensacola Business Journal and the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce PACE Awards. She received the Leadership Pensacola Blue Angel Leadership Award and the PACE Center for Girls Pioneer Award from the PACE State Board of Trustees for her many years of service.
Known for her heartfelt commitment to education, business, and social issues, she has guided dozens of non-profit organizations throughout her career. She was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to be the inaugural chair of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, where she now serves as Director of Philanthropy. She is a founding PACE Center for Girls Escambia/Santa Rosa member and a John Maxwell Team founding member.
Hailey Lotz shared, “What a great opportunity for the PSC Alumni Association to partner with Carol. She is one of the greatest examples of igniting someone’s future through the gift of education. Carol has often shared that had it not been for the scholarship she received to attend PSC (then PJC) she doesn’t know if she would have gone to college.” Through the generosity of Carol Carlan, the PSC Alumni Association, and all who support this endowed scholarship, hope continues to shine brightly for students at Pensacola State College.
Contributions to the Carol Carlan Legacy Leadership Endowed Scholarship can be made online at https://alumni.pensacolastate.edu/carlan-scholarship/
Gifts also can be made by check payable to the “Pensacola State College Foundation.” Checks can be mailed to or dropped off at: Pensacola State College Foundation 1000 College Boulevard, Building 17, Pensacola, FL 32504.