Board Of Directors

Dover is a professional association manager, a lobbyist, a former government insider, and a Florida State University Dedman School of Hospitality graduate with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. As the FRLA’s President/CEO, Dover works to protect, educate, and promote the diverse interests of Florida’s hospitality industry before the Florida Legislature and lobbying against unfair government regulation. The industry represents a $76.1 billion industry, 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.6 billion in sales tax revenue, and over one million employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, Council of State Restaurant Associations, International Society of Hotel Association Executives, VISIT FLORIDA, Florida Tourism Commission, Florida TaxWatch, and the Florida Horse Park.

The FTBOA represents the economic development, political, public relations and leadership interests of North Americas second largest Thoroughbred breeding markets breeders, horse and farm owners. In tandem Powell also serves as Publisher & CEO of Florida Equine Communications (Horse Capital Digest, Florida Horse, Wire to Wire) and executive director of Florida Thoroughbred Charities among others.
A third generation horseman whose late father was a jockey, Powell has owned race and show/competition horses throughout his life. A big believer in stepping up to serve the community and industry when called upon, he has served as a Florida Horse Park and Agricultural Center board member since 2014 and has filled past offices of chair, 2 nd vice-chair and secretary. Powell represents the state’s equine industry as a member of the state-appointed Animal Industry Trade Council while also representing the Florida and Marion County industry on international trade missions. He also serves on the board of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnerships and is immediate secretary and director of the Florida Society of Association Executives. In 2015 FTBOA received the coveted FSAE Association of the Year as well as the high honor of CEP Non Profit of the Year awards. Best known for his strategic, public relations and leadership abilities, Powell has served in a variety of equine top executive capacities including CEO of the nation’s premier race track, Santa Anita of Arcadia, CA, president of Racing Commissioner’s International, director of the University of AZ Race Track Industry Program and chief compliance office and chair of policy & internal review for You.bet.com. Immediately prior to his arrival in Florida in 2012, Powell served as a member of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s Cabinet as well as administrative law judge. Much of his responsibility was in the areas of regulation, enforcement and administration of pari-mutuel racing, boxing and mixed martial arts on behalf of the state and governor.

He is now joined by his son Patrick McNamara who also plays Polo. The McNamara’s and their staff hold years of experience in multiple disciplines including hunters and jumpers, eventing, dressage and Fox Hunting. 

They proudly produce beef cattle. Mr. Strickland is actively involved in his local community. He has been heavily involved with the Farm Bureau for over 20 years serving on the Beef Advisory Committee and the International Trade Task Force. Jim is a board member of the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, FL and the National Cattlemen’s Association Political Action Committee vice chair. He is a past president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, current chairman for the Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation and has worked with the Manatee County Fair Board for over 15 years.

A member of the Boy Scouts of America, he earned his Eagle Scout award in 1994. After high school in Ocala, he went off to Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina where he was a student athlete on the tennis team. In 1999, O’Farrell graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Accounting. After college, he went to work for The South Financial Group and Carolina First Bank in Anderson, South Carolina. In 2004, he moved back to Ocala and became a manager at Ocala Stud, handling the financial side of the farm. In late 2004, O’Farrell purchased the broodmare Lady Discreet along with his brother David and Ocala Stud as partners. In 2009, Lady Discreet became the producer of Calder Oaks winner Chary, by Montbrook. Ocala Stud has been a perennial leading Florida commercial breeder and has either solely or in partnership bred more than 100 stakes winners, including Eclipse Award winning Musical Romance, and current graded stakes winners Turbulent Descent, Tackleberry, Rigoletta, Gourmet Dinner, and Shadowbdancing. Ocala Stud currently stands popular stallions High Cotton, Montbrook, In Summation, Gottcha Gold, Adios Charlie, and Silver Tree. Joseph married Alicia W. O’Farrell in 2007. Their son Joseph “Michael” O’Farrell, IV was born in 2008.

Prior to joining the company in 1983, he was a Partner at Duggan, Joiner, Birkenmeyer, Stafford and Furman, PA. Greg has been a Member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants since 1984 and has held many offices in the local chapter, as well as serving on the State Board of Governors. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants since 1984. In service to the community, Greg is a member of the Metropolitan Ocala Rotary Club which recognized him as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2007. In 2009 he earned the Service Above Self Award. He graduated from the first class of Leadership Ocala/Marion in 1988 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Carr was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1976 and served as an Assistant State Attorney in the 11th Judicial Circuit, in that capacity she served as a Division Chief and Major Crimes Prosecutor as well as serving in the Organized Crime section under State Attorneys Richard Gerstein and Janet Reno from 1976 to 1982. After leaving the State Attorneys office she went into private practice and formed the law firm of Carr and Carr P.A. where she is a senior partner to this day. Ms. Carr for the next several years had a varied practice including criminal defense, real estate, personal injury, divorce, probate and guardianship litigation. Ms. Carr has tried in excess of 200 jury trials and has both prosecuted and represented multiple defendants who are on Florida’s death row. Ms. Carr for the past 20 years has practiced exclusively in the area of Probate, Guardianship and Trusts in all counties across the State of Florida. Ms. Carr has and does serve on numerous committees at a local and statewide level representing the interest of the probate, guardianship and trust sector of the 11th Judicial Circuit. Ms. Carr was for three years the past Chair of the Dade County Bar Probate and Guardianship Committee and is presently the Vice Chair of that Committee and is also a member of the Real Estate Probate and Trust Section of the Florida Bar where she is an active participant on both the Guardianship Committee and the Trust Litigation Committee. Ms. Carr served three years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Dade County Bar Assoc. from which she has received numerous awards for her service both to the indigent as Pro Bono attorney of the year and for her service to the Probate Bar. Ms. Carr is now or has been a member of the American Bar Association and the Cuban American Bar Association, the Florida Association of Women’s lawyers, the Dade County Association of Trial lawyers, the Florida Association of Trial Lawyers and the American Academy of Trial lawyers. She has also been an annual EAGLE contributor with the Florida Academy of Trial lawyers. Ms. Carr is bilingual and fluent in Spanish having majored in Spanish at the University of Miami.

Joy Maxwell Carr has owned and shown horses her entire life. Joy Carr currently owns farms in the Homestead area where she keeps and trains American Saddlebred, Arabians and half Arabian horses and stands her Arabian breeding stallion to the public. Joy Carr has owned and or showed numerous World Champion Saddlebreds as well as National Champion Arabians. Joy Carr still actively Competes in Arabian and American Saddlebred shows both state wide and across the country as well as support local and regional events. Joy Carr has owned horses or personally competed in the following divisions; Driving, English, Western, Trail, Sidesaddle, Costume, Halter, Hunt, Working Cow, Reining, and others. Joy Carr has been awarded the Sportsmanship award by the Arabian Horse Show Association of Florida and served as delegate to the National Arabian convention from Florida on numerous occasions. She has also served as the representative from the Arabian and National Show Horse divisions to various UPHA committees.

Joy Carr has been actively associated with the rescue and rehabilitation of dogs, cats and horses for over 40 years and has run and operated the Rescue Booth for Arabian and other horses both at the Arabian National Horse show and other locations throughout the United States. Her stories of her rescues have been published in the Saddle Horse Report and other magazines devoted to the horse for her rescue of American Saddlebred Horses from slaughter. Joy Carr has been on the board of the South Florida SPCA for horses. She has owned and shown multiple Champion and National Specialty winning Working and Terriers breeds over the years but is not presently active in the showing of dogs due to other commitments.

Joy Carr was the youngest person to be nominated by the 11th Judicial Circuit Nominating Commission on two occasions for a Judgeship in Dade County Florida by then Governor Graham at the age of 23. Over the past 30 years she has chaired or served on dozens of Judicial campaigns as well as the Campaign committees to re-elect the Dade County State Attorney and the Dade County Public Defender. Joy Carr has also served or been actively involved in the campaigns of numerous United State legislators and congressmen.

Completed internship at Peterson & Smith 1991-1992 and internal medicine residency at the University of Florida 1992-1995. Board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1995. Joined Peterson & Smith in 1996 to run the equine neonatal ICU, and manage the hospital’s internal medicine cases, became a partner in 2004. Major clinical interests: neonatology, neurology, cardiology, and ophthalmology.

Director of the Equine Science Departments at three major colleges and universities, she has spent a 37 year career in higher education. She developed curriculum in all aspects of Equine Education including Business Management, Marketing, and Equine Law. She was selected three times to receive the Who’s Who of Colleges and Universities Outstanding Teachers Award.

Judging and Stewardign more than five hundred horse shows worldwide, Cecile has been an instructor and coach for various seats of horsemanship, including English and Western as well as Driving. A presenter of Clinics both in the US as well as Australia, South Africa, Canada, and the UK. She received the Outstanding Judges Award and Stewards Award from the Arabian Professional Horseman’s Association.

Other activities include serving on the Advisory Board of the Scottsdale Community College Equine Program, United Professional Horseman’s Association, Saddle Seat World Cup Board, and past Board member of the North American Riding for the Handicapped.

Originally from South Florida, Cecile returned to Central Florida in August of 2001 when she retired from teaching. She lives on a small farm in Lady Lake where she spends her free time driving her ponies and working with several horse associations. She was appointed by the Florida Agriculture Commissioner to the Board of the Florida Horse Park, where she served as Vice President, and currently is a Board Member of the Park. She is a past Director of the Arabian Horse Association and currently is on the Education and Evaluation Commission.

In Two Thousand Fifteen she has been awarded two Lifetime Achievement Awards. One from the International Friesian Show Horse Association, the other from the Arabian Horse Association.

Leslie also offers our Training Tip of the Week. Since arriving in the United States in 2006 Leslie has racked up a huge list of accomplishments including: three time American Advanced Champion, Young Event Horse Champion and Reserve Champion, multiple CCI *** and CIC *** wins and top placings, and multiple CCI ** and CIC ** wins and top placings. He has found horses for and coached some of America’s top young riders and has had many adult amateurs in the top placings at the American Eventing Championships.

CMO of International Speedway Corporation working for the France family. Assistant Athletic Director, Florida state University. CMO of Visit Florida. A partner in several new technology ventures. Consultant for the sports and tourism industry focused on building business strategy in a rapidly changing business climate.

He has over 10 years of Equine private practice experience managing infectious disease outbreaks, facilitating inter and intrastate travel, and treating individual and group health issues in the community. He served as incident commander in New World Screwworm Response in the Florida Keys and as subject matter expert and epidemiologist for the EHV1 outbreak in Payson Park Florida.

Joe is an active member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Veterinary Medical Association, and the United States Animal Health Association where he is on the Infectious disease of horses’ committee and Co-chair of the Equine Infectious Anemia and Piroplasmosis subcommittee.

In his spare time, he enjoys scuba diving where he is open water two and nitrox certified, playing basketball and football, bird hunting, going to the gym, playing with his dog Maya and trivia at the Brass Tap in Tallahassee, FL.

His many accomplishments on and off of a horse make for an outstanding athlete, horseman, competitor, trainer, coach and clinician. Buck runs a training and competition facility during the winter in Ocala, FL and the summers in Riegelsville, PA. His students range from young riders and adult amateurs to professionals. He has a unique ability to connect and improve his students and their horses by truly caring about the progress of each individual student and horse. The end results speak for themselves.

Phelps is also an FEI competitor in the sport of Combined Driving and, in 2019, she represented the US in Kisber, Hungary. There, she won a gold medal in the Cones Phase for Pony Pair and finished 12th overall in her division that represented 16 countries. Outside of her significant equestrian accomplishments, Phelps is active in her community as a member of the Ocala Chamber of Commerce.

Bishop also serves as the Chairman of Housing Foundation of America, Inc. a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization that also services the Tri County area. Bishop has been a long-time advocate for affordable housing and first-time home ownership in South Florida, conducting numerous workshops and seminars on local, state, and federal housing grant programs. He has provided leadership and support services on numerous housing boards and committee.

Representative Holder previously served the constituents of Sarasota County in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 – 2014, where he served as Chairman of the Sarasota delegation and Chairman of the Economic Development and Tourism subcommittee. Horses have always been a part of Holder’s life and he looks forward to serving the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park.