Mrs. MaryLou Fernandez Whaley was born and raised in Tampa. A direct decedent of Tampa Pioneer Joseph Paul Robles (Robles Park), she attended Hillsborough County Public Schools and graduated from Plant High School. Mrs. Whaley is an advocate at heart and finds supporting the needs of students and families most gratifying.

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Her current position is Director of Community Engagement & Philanthropy with Hillsborough County Public Schools.  She has been educator for 18 years and has extensive experience working in/with Title 1 schools supporting dropout prevention, teen parents, English Language Learners and refugee children in the district.  She is an ESOL certified trainer and hold certifications in ESOL (K-12), ESE (K-12), Family and Consumer Science (6-12) and Education Leadership (K-12) with the state of Florida.  Mrs. Whaley has worked as an associate/adjunct faculty for University of Phoenix, College of Humanities and College of Education and Hillsborough Community College, Educator Prep Institute (EPI).

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She received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Loyola University in New Orleans, LA and her Masters of Education (ME) and Education Specialist (Ed. S.) degrees from Saint Leo University in Dade City, Florida. As a completer of the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program with the Sykes School of Business at the University of Tampa, she believes that education is the single most important determinant of freedom in our democracy and the role of the teacher is an integral part of the future of this country.