Women To Watch Awards 2026 honors Dr. Shirley Sims

Dr. Shirley Sims is a visionary executive, strategist, author, and community architect whose leadership spans more than two decades across government, higher education, nonprofit innovation, and national professional networks. With nearly 22 years of experience navigating complex systems, she specializes in strategic planning, organizational transformation, stakeholder engagement, and leadership development across public and nonprofit sectors.

Currently, Dr. Sims serves as President of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) South Florida Chapter, where she leads high-impact initiatives that strengthen executive leadership pipelines, advance professional development, and foster cross-sector collaboration. In addition, she serves as a consultant to NFBPA’s National Office, partnering with leaders nationwide to design innovative programming, expand workforce strategies, and enhance leadership development for public sector professionals.

Throughout her career, Dr. Sims has demonstrated a consistent ability to align vision with execution driving operational improvements, strengthening strategic partnerships, and advancing initiatives that produce measurable community impact. Her leadership approach is both people-centered and performance-driven, enabling organizations to operate more effectively while cultivating inclusive growth and long-term sustainability.

Beyond executive leadership, Dr. Sims is an award-winning author. She co-authored Leading with a Growth Mindset: Unlocking Your Potential, a transformative blueprint designed to help individuals discover their “why,” strengthen their mindset, and maximize their impact across every sphere of life. She also co-authored the children’s book My Sparkle, My Way: Autism and Acceptance, a heartfelt story that promotes inclusion, confidence, and self celebration among neurodiverse children. Through this advocacy, she created AuSome Pals, a thoughtful and empowering platform where children on the autism spectrum are seen, supported, and celebrated for being uniquely different.

Building on her passion for youth development and community empowerment, Dr. Sims founded iTrainNow, Inc. in 2020, a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to workforce development, leadership training, college and career exploration, and health and wellness programming. Under her leadership, iTrainNow has served more than 550 youth across South Florida communities, providing free soft skills training and creating meaningful pathways toward economic mobility and professional advancement.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Sims led impactful initiatives within juvenile justice and foster care systems aimed at reducing recidivism and strengthening family outcomes. She later transitioned into higher education leadership, where she spent more than a decade advancing student success initiatives and developing programs that supported academic persistence, leadership development, and career readiness.

Her leadership and service have earned her numerous honors, including:

• 2025 Jacqueline C. Whitman Award for Leadership and Service — NFBPA National

• 2025 North Broward County Chapter of The Links — Women Who Lead Awardee

• 2024 Top 50 Women Chiefs of Staff in America

• 2024 NFBPA South Florida President’s Appreciation Award

• 2023 Legacy South Florida Prominent Women in Business

• 2021 Excellence in Education Award

• 2020 Community Heroes Award

Dr. Sims holds an Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation from St. Thomas University, a Master of Public Administration from Troy University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida. She is also a Certified John Maxwell Leadership Trainer and Coach, a graduate of the Clark Atlanta University HBCU Executive Leadership Institute, and a proud graduate of the NFBPA Mentor Program.

As a visionary executive, founder, and advocate, Dr. Shirley Sims continues to build institutions, elevate leaders, and drive sustainable community impact embodying the essence of a Woman to Watch and a transformational leader poised for her next executive chapter.