Dr. Whitco (nee Bruzzese) graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton, in Greater Binghamton, New York, with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Law. As an undergrad student, Dr. Whitco studied philosophy and European Union politics at Regent’s University, London, UK, where she served as a Parliamentary intern for former Mayor of London, Kenneth Livingstone, worked on Mr. Livingstone’s parliamentary re-election campaign, accompanied him in Parliament and in routine surgeries in Brent. Dr. Whitco also served as an undergraduate summer intern in the Supreme Court of New York, civil division, in Queens County, New York, for Justice Joan Marie Durante.
During graduate studies at St. John’s University School of Law in Queens, New York, Dr. Whitco was Co-Editor for the New York State Real Property Journal, Vice President of Communications for America Bar Association student division, a member of Phi Delta Phi, continued to serve as a legal intern with Justice Joan Marie Durante, and also served as intern for the office of New York State Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, litigation division, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, superfund division, both in downtown Manhattan.
Dr. Whitco practiced tort, contract and commercial law in New York (Berns & Castro; Silverman, Perlstein & Acampora, LLP; Grossman & Associates, PLLC; Bruno, Gerbino & Soriano, LLP) before relocating to Florida where she practiced tort, contract, commercial and real property law (Katzman & Korr, LLP; Choice Legal Group, P.A.). Dr. Whitco also waived into the DC bar.
Graduating magna cum laude from Florida Atlantic University with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, K-12 School Leaders, Dr. Whitco taught K-12 full-time including gifted Civics, AP, advanced, and regular American Government, AP, advanced and regular Economics, Comprehensive Law and International Law, English and Language Arts, and Reading during her graduate studies in education. Teaching in both traditional and charter school settings, Dr. Whitco completed her master's applied leadership and administrative internship onsite and also supervised many extracurricular activities including Honor Society, Mock Trial, Future Lawyers of America, and Student Government Association and more.
Going on to complete her graduate studies in education at Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Whitco graduated with honors with an Organizational Leadership concentration and focused her doctoral research on the School Superintendency. She developed the School Superintendency Longevity Survey© for school districts. The survey was developed to take aim at the problem of high turnover in the role of school superintendent, functional disruption, decreased morale, and impaired student achievement.