Sandra Close Turnquest
Deputy Executive Director,
Corporate Resources

Sandra Close Turnquest was named Deputy Executive Director in July 2005.

Corporate Resources comprises most of the internal business functions of the agency including: Finance & Administration, Human Resources, Information Technology, Procurement, and Safety, Security & Emergency Management. The District's total adopted budget for FY2010 is $1.5 billion.

Prior to her current leadership role, she held various other management positions with the District – including an 18-year stint as Human Resources Director. She also served as Director of Administrative Services, Deputy Director of Administration and Deputy Director of Business Operations.

She received a BS degree in Political Science from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (Magna Cum Laude) and her Master's in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University. In addition, she has studied at Harvard University's Executive Management Program; University of Michigan's School of Business Executive Management Program and received certification from attending American Management Association courses.

Ms. Turnquest also has a history of leadership and service in the community including active affiliations with Executive Women of the Palm Beaches, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, Leadership Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach HealthCare Foundation, Girls II Women, South Florida Human Resources Executive Roundtable, Society of Human Resources Management and the American Management Association. She is a member of the West Palm Beach Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Florida A&M University Alumni Association. She serves as a Trustee for Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church where she actively participates with the Outreach Ministry and the Justice Ministry.

Her key community awards include the 1998 J. M. Moran African-American Achievers Award; the 2001 Women of Distinction Award; the 2007 Quiet Storm Award in Government from the Women Power Caucus/Broward County; and recognition by Success Magazine as one of South Florida's "25 Most Influential and Prominent Black Women of 2007." In 2008, she was featured in Florida Trend magazine on the District's Small Business Enterprise program and "Who's Who" in Black South Florida.