A native of Mercer County—located in the heart of central Kentucky—Florence obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Eastern Kentucky University and her law degree from the University of Kentucky. Often accused of being an English major, she gives credit for her proficiency in editing, research and writing to her teachers in the Mercer County Public Schools. Florence, a self-professed “Joan of All Trades,” makes the best of her educational and professional credentials in her work as editor in chief for The Clark Group, a small publishing firm in downtown Lexington, and as a solo practitioner with a focus on gender discrimination, special education law and the rights of children with disabilities. The Clark Group publishes The Kentucky Directory Gold Book, Clark’s Kentucky Almanac & Book of Facts, and other exceptional books by a variety of authors.

Florence has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Ashland Terrace Retirement Home, LexLinc, Kentucky Council for Economic Education, National Association of Women Business Owners, and the Center for Women, Children & Families. She is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association.