The purpose of the ACE of Florida Hall of Fame Award is to recognize and honor adult educators who have contributed in a significant way to the vision and mission of adult education. Hall of Fame recipients are teacher-leaders who have distinguished themselves through their dedication to and development of high quality educational programs, their service to students and community, and their outstanding contributions to our field as a whole.
This year’s recipient exemplifies the beliefs and ideals that we, as adult educators, hold in high esteem. As the Director of Florida Panhandle Technical College for the past 10 years, Martha Compton has a demonstrated history of building innovative programs that serve her students and community. In addition to her daily responsibilities at the Florida Panhandle Technical College, Martha balanced state-level leadership positions both as a Board of Director for ACE of Florida and President of FACTE along with membership on several local community boards including CareerSource Chipola, Washington County Tourist Development Council, and the Northwest Florida Manufacturers Council. Her work in these areas has garnered multiple accolades including the Hollinnsworth CareerSource Chipola Board Member of the Year and the John E. Lawrence School Administrator of the Year.
While she advocates for adult education students throughout the state, Martha is a true champion of the small and rural districts. Her work with the Florida Department of Education’s Workforce Education Funding Committee has served to ensure that the state funding model supports an equitable distribution for our smaller communities. She is also an active legislative advocate who has worked hard to ensure our state-level legislators understand the importance of the work adult educators do daily to advance the economic development prospects of her region and the State of Florida as a whole. Mike Armbruster of Orange Technical College shared that he “absolutely respects Martha Compton! She is a force to be reckoned with, and an individual [who he] admires for her never ending advocacy to ensure adequate funding to meet the needs of students as they pursue their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families.”
Martha, we are grateful for your contributions to adult education.