Four distinguished business and community leaders have joined the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees following their appointments by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the State University System Board of Governors.

UCF’s new trustees are John Evans Jr., Mark Filburn, Anthony “Tony” Massey and Thomas McNamara ’88.

Joseph Conte, Caryl McAlpin ’77 and Michael Okaty ’96 ’97 recently concluded their terms on the Board of Trustees after nearly 20 years of combined service. Their dedication and leadership on the Board of Trustees have been instrumental in helping UCF achieve excellence and positively impact lives on campus and in the community.

Meet the New Trustees

John Evans Jr.

John Evans Jr. is a lifelong Central Floridian. His father was a longtime history professor at Florida Technological University, which later became UCF. Evans is the co-founder of Promising People, a Casselberry-based ed-tech company dedicated to reducing recidivism by half through virtual reality training for the trades. He’s also a partner at Manhattan’s Parkway Venture Capital.

Evans began his career as a special assistant to former United States Senator Connie Mack. He’s been a longtime contributor to the Orlando Sentinel and the Forbes Coaches Council. He attended Lakemont Elementary, the University of Florida, the University of Miami and Pepperdine University.

A father of four, Evans resides in Winter Park and New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Evans regularly attends St. Maragret Mary Church in Winter Park, Florida.

Mark Filburn

Mark Filburn is president of Whitestone Construction Group LLC. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1990 in addition to admittance to the Supreme Court of the State of Florida, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States Court of International Trade, the United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, the United States Court of Federal Claims and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

Filburn is a member of the American, Florida and Orange County bar associations. He has served as a board member for the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, MetroPlan Orlando and the Board of Visitors for Lake Highland Preparatory School. He is also a member of the Board of Visitors for the Wake Forest University School of Law.

Filburn earned a bachelor of arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a juris doctor degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Anthony Massey

Anthony “Tony” Massey is president and CEO of Massey Services, a pest management company. A second-generation leader of Massey Services, he joined the company after earning a corporate finance and investment management degree from the University of Alabama in 1989. Rising through management roles, he became president in 2006 and CEO in 2021.

Massey actively supports Central Florida organizations, serving on the Florida Council of 100, the Executive Leadership Team for the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Florida and the Committee of 100. He’s a member of the Governor’s Council for the Orlando Economic Partnership and serves on Truist Bank’s Central Florida Board of Directors and the Professional Pest Management Alliance Board of Directors. He is also a past chairman of Florida Citrus Sports, the Orlando Museum of Art’s executive committee and the Heart of Florida United Way’s 2014-15 campaign.

A graduate of Harvard University’s OPM Executive Program and Rollins College’s Key Executive master’s program, Massey supports education and community initiatives through advisory roles at Seminole State College, Rollins College, the University of Alabama and as a member of the UCF Board of Trustees.

Thomas McNamara ’88

Thomas McNamara ’88, a third-generation contractor and grandson of Irish immigrants, has built a legacy in construction and fishing industries.

In 1994, he founded Southern Development & Construction Inc., now one of Central Florida’s largest heavy civil contractors with over 2,000 projects statewide. As CEO of Foundation Outdoors Group Inc., he leads the global fishing industry leader with operations in Florida, Sweden and China, holding more than 23 patents and 17 industry awards.

Beyond his business ventures, McNamara is deeply committed to philanthropy. Through his companies and the McNamara Family Foundation, he supports initiatives like Habitat for Humanity and the Coastal Conservation Association. He also serves on the UCF Athletics Association Board of Directors and participates in professional organizations like the Association of Building Contractors and the Florida Engineering Society.

A UCF electrical engineering graduate, McNamara and his wife, Stacey McNamara ’90, are dedicated alumni and recipients of the 2022 UCF Distinguished Alumni Award. The McNamara family’s philanthropic contributions to UCF include significant donations to the John Euliano Baseball Park (UCF’s baseball stadium), the Wayne Densch Leadership Center and the Garvy Nutrition Center, culminating in a substantial $1 million gift for McNamara Cove, a cutting-edge recovery water facility for student-athletes.

About the Board of Trustees

Under the Florida Constitution, each state university is administered by a board of trustees consisting of 13 members.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the administration of UCF in a manner that is dedicated to and consistent with the university’s mission and with the mission and purposes of the State University System. This responsibility includes cost-effective policy decisions; the implementation and maintenance of high-quality education programs; and oversight of university performance, financial management and accountability, personnel, the reporting of information and compliance with laws, rules, regulations, and requirements.

Learn more about the board and read full biographies for each trustee at bot.ucf.edu.