In a recent release from the official Florida Governor Ron DeSantis website, three new members have been appointed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), pending confirmation from the Florida Senate.
Governor Appoints Three New Members
The three new appointees by Governor Ron DeSantis to the CFTOD include Alexis Yarbrough, John Gilbert, and Scott Workman. Yarbrough has been appointed as the Chair, while the other two appointees are regular members.
Alexis Yarbrough is currently the Chair of the Broward College District Board of Trustees, and she had also previously served as Chair and Commissioner on the Fourth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nomination Commission. Her educational background includes earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and a juris doctor from Nova Southeastern University.
John Gilbert holds a bachelor’s degree in real estate from Florida State University and works as the Executive Managing Director at Stream Reality Partners. He was recognized twice, once in 2007 and again in 2012, as the Orlando Office Broker of the Year by the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks.
Scott Workman is the owner of both Workman Transportation and Workman Travel. After attending the University of Iowa, Workman has been a force in the Orlando transportation industry for over 25 years.
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
The CFTOD was formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). The CFTOD and Disney have had a somewhat tumultuous relationship, with multiple legal battles taking place between the two since it replaced the RCID in 2023. Shortly after the replacement, the new CFTOD declared one of the last development agreements between Disney and the RCID null and void, claiming Disney did not properly notify affected parties. The argument led the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to sue Disney at the state level to nullify the company’s development agreement. Meanwhile, Disney sued the District and Governor DeSantis due to their attempts to void the agreement while also countersuing the District regarding public records requests.
After months of legal fighting, the two parties finally reached a settlement in March 2024. Shortly after reaching the settlement, the District approved a new development agreement that included Disney investing $17 billion into Florida in the next 10-20 years, with a minimum of $8 billion in the next decade. Disney, meanwhile, dropped their federal lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
In more recent news, Florida’s Chief Inspector General quietly ended a review of the RCID’s former board without issuing any recommendations, saying the board broke no laws prior to the appointment of the CFTOD and “no further investigative activity is warranted.” New Central Florida Tourism Oversight District trash cans have also been photographed in the parking garages attached to Disney Springs, replacing the old Reedy Creek Improvement District trash cans.
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