What We Do

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Emily Andrews was born and raised in Ocala and has always had a passion for her community. She returned after graduating from FSU in 2019 with her Bachelor’s in Editing, Writing, and Media. She has participated in Leadership Ocala/Marion Youth, Leadership Ocala/Marion Class XXXIII, Ocala CEP, and loves volunteering on the board of FAFO (since 2020) and OMAC. She currently serves as Vice President of her family’s dog daycare and lodging business, Red Fern Pet Lodge.

Buff Moring has been a FAFO Board member since 2012. In her career as a Guardian ad Litem, she has witnessed the tremendous potential of art as a healing tool for abused children, and how powerful art and music are for all children.

Sarah Cone has been in Florida since 2018 and moved to Ocala in 2022.  She was born in Greenville, South Carolina where she was raised to have a deep passion and hunger for the arts, creativity, and all things handmade. Sarah has been, among many other things, an artisan for 15+years.  In 2023, she opened Brick City Market, an online and pop-up shop that sources local artisan goods.  Sarah is married to Douglas Cone, III, and they have the cutest cat in the world, Charlie. 

David Hooper is Vice President of Commercial Services with Florida Credit Union in Ocala. He has been in the Banking Industry for many years.  David is a graduate of West Virginia University, and has lived in Ocala since 2016. He has been active in a number of non-profit and charitable organizations

Resident Artist of Magnolia Art Xchange,

Ryan Andrew Neumann

is an award-winning visual artist living & working in the Ocala area, while studying Art History at UCF. Neumann first studied sound engineering at SAE Institute of Technology in NY City & later Fine Art at CF, where his work can be found in the permanent collection. Artist member of the Marion Cultural Alliance & former member of the Visual Artist’s Society. Recent achievements include  being one of last year’s FAFO Emerging Artist.

After working in tech for 12 years, Beth now works with her husband, Craig, at The Cannon Law Firm. Prior to joining FAFO’s board, Beth served on several boards in the community. She co-chaired FAFO's festival for several years and then was its president for three years.  Beth and Craig have two children, Alice and Harris. 

Sondra A. W. Collins is currently in her thirteenth year of teaching music in Marion County Public Schools, the last seven of which have been with the Shady Hill family at Shady Hill Elementary, in Ocala. Sondra currently serves as the Chairperson of the Awards Committee on the Board of Directors of the Florida Music Education Association. She also serves on the Government Relations and Advocacy Committee and the Conference Planning Committee of the Florida Music Education Association.

Deb lived her life in  South Florida, moving to Ocala in 2014. Following retirement from the  academic arena in 2021 she volunteered at AdventHealth and then worked  for a friend opening a new pre-school  downtown. Currently, she works at Primary Tavern, a newly opened  local-owned restaurant in Ocala. After volunteering at Symphony Under  the Stars, wanting to do more for the Arts in our community, she was  welcomed to serve as a board member in 2024. 

Veronica has been an educator in Marion County for over 30 years, teaching 1st-4th grade before becoming an art instructor. That role deepened her love for the Ocala Arts Festival, where she has showcased her students’ work for years. Beyond teaching, she is involved with The Ocala Horse Alliance and loves volunteering on the greeting team at her church. Veronica and her husband have called Ocala home for over 30 years and she is excited to support the arts in the community she loves.

Michaela Gardner is a native Canadian. As a young adult, she was a piano/voice teacher and pre-professional dancer of Marion Ballet Theatre. At 18 she purchased her first dance studio and after 10 successful years, Michaela brought her passion to Ocala with Devotions Dance Company. With a strong background in dance and an entrepreneurial spirit, she continues to make a positive impact in the world of dance and in the Ocala Metro community.

Brooke Hutto is a new member of the board and has been a resident of Marion County since 2010. She is a graduate from Stetson University and has been a music educator for the past 15 years, currently teaching at Harbour View Elementary. She also serves as the President of the Marion County Music Association. She is married to David Hutto, a fellow educator, and is the mother of two incredible children, Amelia and Keaton. In her free time, Brooke enjoys reading and a good cup of tea.

Rob Jordan has lived in Ocala since the age of four. He graduated from Forest High and the University of Florida. Rob has taught English at Belleview High for the last 20 years. He enjoys traveling, photography, golfing, the Gators and, of course, art

Dawn rejoined FAFO's board in 2022. She is the owner of Party Time Rentals and Dawn Lovell Design. 

Katrina Neumann has been a resident of Ocala since 2011, holds a Master's degree in accounting from Saint Leo University and is wife to local artist Ryan Neumann. With extensive experience working for the government/private sector, her ambitions lie in applying her knowledge where it is needed. As a spectator of the growing art community, she’s found herself becoming more directly involved. As a FAFO board member, she looks forward to giving back to a community that has inspired her so much.

David Reutter is the Registrar at the Appleton Museum of Art. In his free time he does distance running and sprint triathlons.

Teddy Sykes is a local artist and IT professional who has lived in the Ocala area most of his life. Having attended most every FAFO event from a young age to the present, he is excited to be a member of the FAFO Board. Teddy is a huge supporter of the local arts and music scene and most of his free time is spent downtown attending or being involved in events.

Michelle Wetz has lived in Florida most of her life.  A graduate of North Marion High, she earned her Bachelor’s degree at UCF and her Master’s degree at St. Leo University. She has been a teacher in Marion County for the past 26 years and is currently the art teacher at Madison Street Academy.  Experience with FAFO as a student, then as a parent with daughter’s art, and now with students’ artwork. She enjoys giving back to our community by serving as a board member of FAFO. 

Charlita Whitehead has called Florida home since 2006. She is a graduate of the College of Central Florida and the University of Central Florida. Charlita works as an Information Security Officer serving five hospitals and multiple ancillary facilities in the Greater Orlando area. Her passion for empowering marginalized communities is a driving force in her life. She loves art, spending time outdoors, travel, new experiences, quality time with friends and family, and her very good dog Aucilla.

Hannah Whitston was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. She moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida in 2011 to pursue her Bachelor of Music in Music Education. Hannah is currently the music teacher at Madison Street Academy and was a Marion County Golden Apple Academy Finalist in 2022. She lives in Ocala with her husband, son & dog. They enjoy cooking, eating, fishing, and participating in their church worship team together. Hannah has been on the FAFO Board since Spring 2021