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Rutledge currently serves as Director of Career and Technical Education for Brevard Public Schools, where she oversees programs that connect students with high-demand industries across the county, including the district’s recently launched Advanced Aerospace, Electricity, and Diesel Technology pathways. Her first day at LEAD Brevard is May 1, and she will work alongside Bakke through the month of May to ensure a smooth handoff.
“LEAD Brevard plays a vital role in developing informed, connected, and forward-thinking leaders for our community,” Rutledge said in a statement. “I am honored to step into this role and build on the organization’s strong legacy while continuing to create meaningful leadership experiences that strengthen Brevard County.”
Bakke has led LEAD Brevard since June 2000, a tenure approaching 26 years that spans most of the organization’s modern history. Founded in 1986, LEAD Brevard operates as an independent 501(c)(3) and runs the flagship eight-month Leadership Brevard program along with Young Professionals of Brevard, Youth Leadership Brevard, On Board Brevard, and the annual 4 Under 40 awards. Under Bakke’s leadership, the organization expanded its programming, deepened its corporate partnerships, and built an alumni network that now reaches into nearly every sector of the Space Coast economy, including aerospace, education, government, healthcare, and the military.
“It has been a privilege to serve our community,” Bakke said. “Rachel is an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of Brevard, and I am confident she will pilot LEAD Brevard into a strong and innovative future.”
According to LEAD Brevard, the leadership transition was the product of a comprehensive search process by the Board of Directors, currently chaired by Monica Newman McCluney, who heads U.S. Corporate Social Responsibility for Embraer and serves as a trustee of The Embraer Foundation.
“Rachel Rutledge brings the vision, experience, and collaborative mindset needed to guide LEAD Brevard forward,” McCluney said. “We are grateful to Kristin Bakke for her extraordinary service and leadership, and we are excited to welcome Rachel as she builds on that foundation and helps shape the next generation of Brevard County leaders.”
Rutledge’s professional resume tracks closely with LEAD Brevard’s stated mission of connecting leaders to community needs. Before joining Brevard Public Schools, she served as Career and Technical Education Coordinator for Volusia County Schools and as an Education Associate with the South Carolina Department of Education, where she coordinated statewide professional development for career and technical education programs. Earlier in her career, she taught sales, marketing, business communication, and leadership courses at Carteret Community College in North Carolina.
She holds a Master of Education from the University of West Georgia and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Nova Southeastern University. She is also a graduate of the LEAD Brevard Class of 2022, meaning the incoming CEO is herself an alumna of the organization’s flagship program.
In her current role with the school district, Rutledge has been a vocal advocate for connecting students directly to local employers. “This program is a launchpad for students who dream of flight, engineering, and innovation,” she said in September when announcing the district’s new Advanced Aerospace program at Merritt Island High School. “We’re not just teaching skills, we’re inspiring futures.”
LEAD Brevard’s next class, Leadership Brevard Class of 2027, is currently in its enrollment window. The organization is also coming off its 2026 4 Under 40 awards ceremony, where McCluney formally launched her tenure as Board Chair.
For more information about LEAD Brevard’s programs or to enroll in an upcoming class, visit www.leadbrevard.org.
MELBOURNE, Fla. — LEAD Brevard, the Rockledge-based nonprofit that has trained Space Coast leaders for nearly four decades, announced Wednesday that Rachel Rutledge will become its next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding longtime President and CEO Kristin Bakke, who retires May 31.
Rutledge currently serves as Director of Career and Technical Education for Brevard Public Schools, where she oversees programs that connect students with high-demand industries across the county, including the district’s recently launched Advanced Aerospace, Electricity, and Diesel Technology pathways. Her first day at LEAD Brevard is May 1, and she will work alongside Bakke through the month of May to ensure a smooth handoff.
“LEAD Brevard plays a vital role in developing informed, connected, and forward-thinking leaders for our community,” Rutledge said in a statement. “I am honored to step into this role and build on the organization’s strong legacy while continuing to create meaningful leadership experiences that strengthen Brevard County.”
Bakke has led LEAD Brevard since June 2000, a tenure approaching 26 years that spans most of the organization’s modern history. Founded in 1986, LEAD Brevard operates as an independent 501(c)(3) and runs the flagship eight-month Leadership Brevard program along with Young Professionals of Brevard, Youth Leadership Brevard, On Board Brevard, and the annual 4 Under 40 awards. Under Bakke’s leadership, the organization expanded its programming, deepened its corporate partnerships, and built an alumni network that now reaches into nearly every sector of the Space Coast economy, including aerospace, education, government, healthcare, and the military.
“It has been a privilege to serve our community,” Bakke said. “Rachel is an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of Brevard, and I am confident she will pilot LEAD Brevard into a strong and innovative future.”
According to LEAD Brevard, the leadership transition was the product of a comprehensive search process by the Board of Directors, currently chaired by Monica Newman McCluney, who heads U.S. Corporate Social Responsibility for Embraer and serves as a trustee of The Embraer Foundation.
“Rachel Rutledge brings the vision, experience, and collaborative mindset needed to guide LEAD Brevard forward,” McCluney said. “We are grateful to Kristin Bakke for her extraordinary service and leadership, and we are excited to welcome Rachel as she builds on that foundation and helps shape the next generation of Brevard County leaders.”
Rutledge’s professional resume tracks closely with LEAD Brevard’s stated mission of connecting leaders to community needs. Before joining Brevard Public Schools, she served as Career and Technical Education Coordinator for Volusia County Schools and as an Education Associate with the South Carolina Department of Education, where she coordinated statewide professional development for career and technical education programs. Earlier in her career, she taught sales, marketing, business communication, and leadership courses at Carteret Community College in North Carolina.
She holds a Master of Education from the University of West Georgia and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Nova Southeastern University. She is also a graduate of the LEAD Brevard Class of 2022, meaning the incoming CEO is herself an alumna of the organization’s flagship program.
In her current role with the school district, Rutledge has been a vocal advocate for connecting students directly to local employers. “This program is a launchpad for students who dream of flight, engineering, and innovation,” she said in September when announcing the district’s new Advanced Aerospace program at Merritt Island High School. “We’re not just teaching skills, we’re inspiring futures.”
LEAD Brevard’s next class, Leadership Brevard Class of 2027, is currently in its enrollment window. The organization is also coming off its 2026 4 Under 40 awards ceremony, where McCluney formally launched her tenure as Board Chair.
For more information about LEAD Brevard’s programs or to enroll in an upcoming class, visit www.leadbrevard.org.
