FRLA Announces 2025 Board of Directors Executive Committee

 

(L-R: FRLA President & CEO Carol Dover, Dennis Chan, Chuck Prather, 2025 FRLA Chair Nick Sarra, Greg Cook, Joy Boyd, John Horne. Not pictured: Henry Delgado)

 

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Today, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) proudly announced the installation of its 2025 Board of Directors Executive Committee, featuring seasoned leaders with more than 210 years of combined experience in the hospitality industry.

For nearly 80 years, FRLA has been Florida’s leading hospitality trade association, dedicated to serving the industry and its members with unmatched commitment to excellence. With a mission to protect, educate, and promote Florida’s $112 billion hospitality industry and its nearly two million employees, FRLA remains a steadfast advocate for this vital economic engine and the heartbeat of the great state of Florida.

FRLA’s 2025 Board of Directors Executive Committee is comprised of the following:

  • Chairman: Nick Sarra, Partner & Chief Executive Officer, Saltwater Restaurants, Inc., Florida Panhandle
  • Vice Chairman: Greg Cook, Luxury General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
  • Secretary/Treasurer and Restaurant Director: Henry Delgado, Managing Partner, Smith and Wollensky Restaurant Group, Miami Beach
  • Lodging Director: Chuck Prather, President, Birchwood Development (The Birchwood, Birchwood Canopy, Birch & Vine), St. Petersburg
  • Restaurant Director: Dennis Chan, Chef & Owner/Operator, Blue Bamboo, Jacksonville
  • Lodging Director: Joy Boyd, Area Managing Director, Davidson Hospitality, Key West
  • Immediate Past Chair: John Horne, Owner of Oysters Rock Hospitality – Anna Maria Oyster Bars, Bradenton, and Café L’Europe, Bradenton & Sarasota

“With their collective expertise and passion, our esteemed 2025 FRLA Executive Committee will play a pivotal role in driving the continued success of our Association and industry as we advocate for our 10,000 members across the state,” said Carol Dover, President & CEO of FRLA. “From Pensacola to the Florida Keys, FRLA members, staff, and Board work as a unified front to secure the future of this great industry and our people. Together, we are poised to meet the challenges ahead and build on the legacy of excellence that defines Florida’s hospitality industry.”

“I’m energized to begin my term as Chairman of FRLA, where our core mission is to ensure Florida’s hospitality industry continues to thrive, adapt, and lead in innovation and service,” said 2025 FRLA Board Chairman Nick Sarra. “I’m excited for what lies ahead for our organization and industry this year, and I look forward to working on important issue like regulatory and labor challenges, immigration, and promoting this dynamic industry to today’s youth, inspiring them to consider hospitality as a long-term career, and empowering them to leave a lasting impact on the future of our profession.”

For full biographies for the FRLA Board of Directors, please click here.
To learn more about that Chair Nick Sarra’s path to leadership, click here.

About FRLA: The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Founded in 1946 as the Florida Restaurant Association, FRLA merged with the Florida Hotel and Motel Association in 2006. FRLA’s more than 10,000 members include independent hoteliers and restaurateurs, household name franchises, theme parks and suppliers. The association’s mission is to protect, educate and promote Florida’s nearly $112 billion hospitality industry which represents two million employees. Dedicated to safeguarding the needs of the membership, FRLA provides legislative advocacy to ensure the voices of its members are heard and their interests are protected. The association offers regulatory compliance and food safety training through Safe Staff® and FRLA’s subsidiary, RCS Training. The FRLA Educational Foundation provides industry-developed, career-building high school programs throughout the state.

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