The University Club of Orlando, which, until 1992, didn’t allow women or minorities to join, has elected its first Black president – 44-year-old Michael Lane. Housed in a new downtown facility with membership challenged since the pandemic, it is reaching out to build a membership more diverse, younger, and with far more females. Since the membership application process continues to require multiple layers of approval skewed heavily toward legacy, time will tell how successful President Lane’s efforts will be, but, in the meantime, his election as the president of this iconic institution in Orlando is clearly a positive step forward.
Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.