Central Florida’s arts, science, history and culture scene is a vital part of what makes our region thrive. It brings people together, sparks creativity, expands opportunity and strengthens our quality of life. At United Arts of Central Florida, we believe a thriving cultural community benefits everyone—and with strong leadership, we can do even more to advance that work across Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. That’s why we’re proud to introduce our FY27 slate of Board officers and welcome new Board members who will help us continue championing creativity, connection and community-wide impact. Guided by our vision of a thriving arts community that fuels lasting prosperity, creativity and well-being for all in Central Florida, these leaders will help steward the mission and momentum of United Arts in the year ahead.
FY27 Board Officers
Chair: Lindsay Abt, Community Volunteer
Lindsay Abt has over 20 years of experience in providing assurance and advisory services to a wide array of clients in varying industries. She has served both public and private companies in industries such as telecommunications, technology, manufacturing and distribution, media and entertainment, aerospace and defense and transportation. Lindsay has extensive public company experience, including PCAOB integrated audits, SPAC transactions, public offerings, SEC comment letters, comfort letters, debt offerings and audits conducted within an SEC reporting environment. Additionally, she has significant experience advising clients about complex accounting and auditing areas such as revenue recognition, restructuring, purchase accounting, pension, derivatives, stock compensation, income taxes, carve-outs and accounting changes. Lindsay also serves on the Advisory Board for Heart of Florida United Way’s Women United and holds CPA licenses in New York and Florida.
Vice Chair: John Ruffier, Shareholder & Chair, Real Estate Department, Lowndes
John Ruffier is a native of Orlando, Florida and practices law as a shareholder at the Lowndes Law Firm with a focus on real estate and finance. John has served on a number of local and national boards over the years, most recently as the Chair of the board of directors for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Locally, he has served on the City of Orlando Public Art Advisory Board and chaired the board for the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida, and currently serves on the board for the Central Florida Kidney Center.
Treasurer: Elisha González, Senior Vice President, Community Affairs, Truist
Elisha González is a strategic and trusted educator and public affairs executive with an extensive career of strengthening stakeholder relations statewide. As Senior Vice President of Community Affairs at Truist, she works closely with line of business executives and market leaders to influence positive outcomes and solutions that impact local communities, managing relationships with key community stakeholders and issues impacting the financial services industry. Elisha is known for supporting both for-profit and nonprofit organizations through genuine engagement, philanthropic advice and results-oriented board service. She currently serves on the boards of Prospera USA, Florida Chamber Foundation, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, United Arts of Central Florida, Heart of Florida United Way and Junior Achievement of Central Florida.
Secretary: Andrew J. Snyder, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Orlando Health
As Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Orlando Health, Andrew J. Snyder has executive oversight and ongoing leadership responsibility for the implementation of all marketing, branding, communications, social media, reputation management, digital, web and mobile strategies and initiatives for the health system. Andrew joined Orlando Health in 2016 and has been in healthcare marketing for nearly 30 years. He is a frequent presenter at industry events and universities, and in 2023 and 2024 was named by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the hospital and health system chief marketing officers to know. Other leadership positions he has held include board member of Orlando Ballet, United Arts of Central Florida, Zebra Coalition and the Orlando Museum of Art.
New Board Members
United Arts also welcomes the following new Board members for inaugural terms beginning July 1, 2026:
Alicia Chiu, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
Alicia M. Chiu, Co-Chair of the Orlando Litigation Group, has a wide range of experience representing employers in all areas of the employment relationship. Alicia is an experienced employment litigator, having defended employers in single-plaintiff, multi-plaintiff and class action litigation involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge and whistleblower claims, as well as wage and hour and employee misclassification litigation, trade secret disputes and enforcement of restrictive covenants. In addition to litigation, Alicia provides counsel on all aspects of the employment relationship, including performance and leave management, terminations and reductions in force. She also conducts internal investigations and compliance training for management across a broad range of workplace issues.
Bob Jimenez, Founder & Gallerist, Solana Fine Art
Bob Jimenez is the founder and gallerist of Solana Fine Art, where he curates contemporary works and supports emerging and established artists. Before opening the gallery, Bob spent 35 years in corporate affairs and strategic communications leadership with organizations including Cox Enterprises, Walt Disney World Resort and AdventHealth, where he led public affairs, community engagement and reputation management initiatives. He has also served on nonprofit and advisory boards including the Woodruff Arts Center, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and Axios HQ.
Michellina Jones, Sr. Development Director, EA Sports
Michellina Jones is a seasoned development leader and creative professional with experience across film, digital media and interactive entertainment. She began her career at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, contributing to films including Mulan, Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear. She currently serves as a Senior Development Director at Electronic Arts’ Tiburon studio in Orlando, where she leads global teams across audio and visual development for the Madden NFL and College Football franchises. Known for her thoughtful, people-centered leadership style, Jones is also an active artist, volunteer and fundraiser in the Central Florida community.
Michael Murtagh, Chief Transformation & Technology Officer, Orlando Utilities Commission
Michael Murtagh is the Chief Transformation & Technology Officer of the Orlando Utilities Commission, the 14th largest municipal utility in the United States. In this role, he oversees IT, strategy and planning, business process optimization and emerging technologies. He has held a variety of operations, commercial, M&A and technology leadership roles throughout his 20-plus-year career, including senior leadership positions at Stanley Black & Decker, Carpenter Technology and James Hardie. Murtagh holds 14 patents and also serves on several boards, including the Edison Welding Institute, A Global Voice for Autism, Virtual Science Teachers, Screen Tag and Rutgers University’s College of Engineering.
Jacob Stanton, Chief Financial Officer, Holler-Classic Automotive Group
Jacob Stanton is the Chief Financial Officer of Holler-Classic Automotive Group and its affiliated companies, where he leads finance, accounting, risk management and information technology. He has also driven multiple strategic acquisitions and corporate venture investments that support the group’s long-term growth. Earlier in his career, Jacob led financial operations for the U.S. subsidiaries of an international automotive retailer and served as Assistant Vice President of Acquisitions at Capital Automotive REIT. He earned a degree in finance and economics from the University of Notre Dame and has served in advisory and mentoring roles through the Keough Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and the Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate.
Steve Brown, Owner and Founder, The Glass Knife
Steve Brown is an entrepreneur and business leader with more than 30 years of experience in hospitality, entertainment, technology and revenue strategy. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of accesso Technology Group, a global technology company serving attractions, cultural venues, ski resorts and live entertainment destinations in more than 30 countries. Prior to accesso, Steve held leadership roles with Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Six Flags, specializing in pricing strategy, ticketing, revenue management and operations. Today, he is the owner and founder of The Glass Knife, an award-winning bakery and restaurant concept based in Winter Park. Steve earned his MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of South Florida.
Departing Board Members
United Arts also extends its sincere gratitude to the Board members whose terms are concluding: Amogh Bhonde, Marcia Enos, Jen Lowndes and Maria Isabel Sanquirico. Their leadership, service and commitment have helped strengthen United Arts and support a more vibrant cultural community across Central Florida.
United Arts is grateful for the time, expertise and generosity of every Board member who serves. Their leadership helps ensure that arts, science, history and culture continue to enrich lives, expand opportunity and strengthen the future of Central Florida.
New Trustees
United Arts is excited to announce our new FY27 mission impact Trustees Advent Health, Universal Orlando Foundation, and Truist. Along with current Trustees Orange County, the City of Orlando, Duke Energy Foundation, Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Darden Foundation, Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation, Ginsburg Family Foundation, Walt Disney World, and Dr. Phillips Charities, these leading investors make investments of $100,000 or more to our mission. Thank you for setting a high standard for sustainable investment in United Arts.
