Meet our Board Members
WAYNE CARTER, President 2023 - 2025
Wayne Carter began his involvement in Florida Main Street as a volunteer. In 2005, he became the Special Events Coordinator and later the Executive Director for Eustis Main Street. In 2013, Wayne became the Executive Director for the award-winning Main Street Deland Association. Wayne received a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida State University. Wayne’s small business experience included restaurant management, sales, owner of a wholesale business, and a financial services representative including acquiring the highly recognized CFP designation. His affection for volunteering and being a part of the community led to his decision to become a Main Streeter. With more than 15 years of Main Street experience, Wayne remembers the struggles of being a new manager, the various trials communities face, and experiencing some of the best that Main Street can offer. He draws on his experience along with the knowledge gained from being a student of the Main Street Approach to offer guidance to struggling directors and communities. He served as Treasurer for Florida Downtown Association before assuming the role of president.
wayne@mainstreetdeland.org; wcarter@floridadowntownassociation.com
THONDRA LANESE PRITCHARD, Immediate Past President 2021 - 2023
Thondra Lanese Pritchard began her professional life in New England as a radio announcer, copywriter, and account executive working for radio stations and small advertising agencies in Southeastern Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. As an in-house technical and marketing writer for the consumer audio company, Bose, she created materials for the company’s luxury automotive and Acoustimass products, winning a Best of Show for the Bose Wave Radio Owner’s Guide. After relocating to Florida, Thondra began working with small businesses and non-profit organizations, learning firsthand what it takes for independent entrepreneurs and community organizations to survive and thrive. As a Main Street volunteer, she saw the transformation of her own community through the Main Street Four-Point approach. Thondra’s volunteer focus became her profession in 2008 when she joined the City of Stuart as Manager for the newly formed East Stuart Main Street program. She went on to run both of the City’s Main Street programs as well as working with the Downtown Business Association, Community Redevelopment Agency, and County Tourism Development Council. She was responsible for multiple successful working partnerships and community engagement programs to promote the downtown district, maximize resources, and help the community reach its goals for itself. Thondra’s passion for seeing local businesses succeed brought her back to St. Lucie County in 2019. As Business Navigator, she is an advocate and liaison for County businesses, creating economic opportunities for residents by helping companies locate and expand in the county, promoting the County and its resources, and developing a strong workforce. Thondra is a certified Florida Redevelopment Administrator and Main Street America Revitalization Professional. A frequent speaker and contributor at Florida Redevelopment Association and Main Street meetings and other conferences, she enjoys helping communities rediscover their pride and vision and develop workable solutions to their economic development challenges. tlanese@floridadowntownassociation.com; thondralanese@gmail.com
SALLIE O’HARA, Vice President 2021 - 2023 - 2025
Sallie O’Hara is a consultant with Tara Hill Specialties, LLC. Specialties include accomplishments as a certified faculty trainer, speaker, grant writer, contract manager, quality management application specialist, operations manager, support manager and management consultant experienced in working with private, nonprofit, and governmental entities. She served as consultant with Friends of A1A for 8 years until moving on to serve on the National Scenic Byways Foundation Board of Directors for 4 years responsible for national news and marketing. She served as part-time Executive Director with the Vilano Beach Main Street for 11 years and organized the 2013 Florida Main Street Conference winning numerous awards. Currently, she is assisting the new Hastings Main Street group in its development as a new Florida Main Street community. She assists non-profits in grant writing, management and marketing. For two years she contributed articles as a guest columnist to the St. Augustine Record and co-authored an historical book sponsored by Arcadia Publishing: Vilano and the North Beaches in 2016. As a lifelong resident of NE FL, she participates in numerous organizations. She has presented at national conferences including Preserving Historic Roads Conference in Savannah (9/2014); Florida Scenic Highways Conference-St. Augustine; Florida State Main Street Conference – St. Augustine (9/2013), St. Petersburg (8/2015), Deland (8/2016); and Fernandina (8/2017); National Scenic Byways Conference – Denver and Minneapolis; Child Abuse and Prevention Conference – Jacksonville. She has served on multiple grant evaluation panels including those with the Division of Florida Historic Preservation. She is still active in the community serving as Vice President on the Florida Downtown Association and President Elect for the Rotary Club of St. Augustine Beach. tarahillspecialties@gmail.com; so’hara@floridadowntownassociation.com
JULIA TRUILO, Secretary 2019 - 2023 - 2025
A native of Daytona Beach, Ms. Truilo grew up in the newspaper business as the fourth generation of Davidsons at the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Her heart, however, led her to the stage, and she spent 20 years in the entertainment industry singing, acting, producing, and running theater companies small and large. After receiving a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, she returned to Volusia County in 1996, working with the News-Journal on its community outreach programs. In 2007 she became the News-Journal’s Director of Online Development supervising the redesign of the paper’s website, as well as the creation of multiple community news sites. Ms. Truilo’s interest in community involvement led her to leadership positions with the Community Christmas Club of the Halifax Area, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens, the Volusia County Cultural Alliance, and the United Way Women’s Initiative. She has also served on the Volusia County Cultural Advisory Board, the County’s original ECHO steering committee, and the Bethune Cookman University Performing Arts Center board. From 2012 to 2023 she worked as Executive Director of Ormond Beach Main Street, where she focuses on the growth and development of Ormond Beach’s core community. Ormond Beach Main Street, a 25-year-old non-profit, partners with the City of Ormond Beach in the management of the downtown CRA district, sponsors the weekly Farmers Market at City Hall, and presents events designed to bring residents and visitors alike into the downtown area. Ms. Truilo is married to Bob Truilo and has two sons. jtruilo@floridadowntownassociation.com; julia.truilo@gmail.com
JESSICA NEWMAN, Treasurer 2023- 2025
Jessica is a native of Wauchula, Florida, who comes from a Main Street family. Her father served as a director on the very first Main Street Wauchula board (and because he is her father, still serves as a board member today). While her background is in mental health, her father knew a career with Main Street would be perfect for her and encouraged her in that direction. Jessica’s first position as director was with Kissimmee Main Street before an opportunity to move “back home” presented itself with the opening of the Main Street Wauchula/CRA Director’s position. Jessica has been serving in that capacity for the past 11 years. A strong advocate for downtown revitalization, she has visited numerous communities and worked with directors and boards to help guide them in the Main Street approach. She also uses her role as CRA Director and Florida Redevelopment Agency board member to further that mission. Finding pride in the small successes are what drive Jessica to advocate and push her community to a better tomorrow. Jessica served as president of Florida Downtown Association from 2019 -2021.
jnewman@cityofwauchula.com ; jnewman@floridadowntownassociation.com
LISA RAIN, Director
Lisa Rain is the marketing manager for Duke Energy Florida’s Innovation and Competitiveness team within the Economic Development Department. With an extensive background in economic development, Lisa has worked closely with local, state and federal entities to bring businesses to Florida, create jobs, and invest capital into Florida communities. Prior to working for Duke Energy, Lisa worked for the City of Orlando's Economic Development Department. Lisa is very involved in the Orlando community and sits on several boards, including Keep Orlando Beautiful, Girls on the Run of Central Florida, and public radio station WMFE’s Community Advisory Board. Lisa has previously sat on the boards for Thornton Park District and Ivanhoe Village Main Street.
lmrain40@gmail.com
BEN LEVENGER, Director
Ben Levenger is a certified planner and professional landscape architect with experience providing downtown-focused assistance to rural communities across the State of Florida. His experience as the president of Downtown Redevelopment Services allows him to build on the successes and best practices from municipalities across the continental United States, bringing them to Florida communities. His support and experience will lead the growing education committee, focusing on empowering Florida Main Street programs with necessary resources to become their own community catalyst.
Ben is the CEO, DTRedevelopment, Inc. DTRedevelopment is a company solely focused on providing communities with actionable plans that will build local capacity and create critical assets necessary to facilitate a community based downtown revitalization process. The team of architects, planners, landscape architects, and economic development professionals will works with communities to build a framework for the short-, mid, and long-term future. DTRedevelopment staff have "boots on the ground" experience working in community and downtown revitalization. The majority of the staff have served as main street managers, URA directors, or primary points of contact for downtown revitalization projects in their own hometowns. With this hands-on knowledge, and professioanl trainings/certifications, offered are poised to help create realistic frameworks for community revitalization.
ben@dtredevelopment.com
CORION DELAINE, Director
Corion J. DeLaine is no stranger to the urban planning, historic preservation, and real estate development space. He has experience in working with multiple municipalities, organizations, and nonprofit entities over the past few years, with recent occupations and experiences ranging from working in both the public and private sector. Mr. DeLaine is well versed in urban development, but also in community engagement and participation. He is a graduate of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Miami Program and the Urban Land Institute’s Leadership Institute program, a member of the Florida State University chapter of Progressive Black Men Inc. and a noble member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. Corion is a real estate developer at heart that is driven by his ability to seek out challenges in the urban landscape and strives to reconstruct and redevelop our community by us, for us, and with us to reinvigorate communities we are proud to call our own. Corion serves as the Principal Planner for Miami Dade County. He previously served as Executive Director and CRA Manager for Opa-locka Community Redevelopment Agency as well as Executive Director for Opa-locka Main Street.
cdelaine13@gmail.com