Board Members

DBAT Board Members

Michele White, President

As Executive Director of the Florida Association of School Administrators, Michele oversees all of FASA's daily operations, policies and procedures. Overall, Michele leads the association in identifying, developing and executing strategic initiatives for the association that align the organization to serve present and future membership needs. She also serves as the primary representative of the association to external stakeholders such as other industry associations, customer groups, suppliers and the general public to create positive partnerships and outcomes for the association.

Alan Hanstein, Treasurer

Alan Hanstein is the Executive Director for the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee. He is responsible for all aspects of Center operation, including the IMAX Theatre, Planetarium, Education Programs, and Community Outreach. Growing up in a suburb of New York City, his love of science, discovery, and exploration was cultivated at a young age by visiting the Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium. As the world begins to celebrate the centennial of the planetaria in 2024, his goal is to make science and the exploration of the universe open and available to everyone.

Jes Fowler Prichard, Secretary

As the Deputy Director at the AELC, Jes advocates for continued investment in early learning by informing policy makers about the benefits of early education and the importance of preserving parental choice and access for Florida’s youngest learners. In supporting 30 Early Learning Coalitions (ELCs) across the state, collaborating with stakeholders and other organizations, Jes and the AELC prioritizes access to a quality education that promotes Kindergarten readiness and allows families to enter and thrive in the workforce with a clear path toward economic self-sufficiency. Jes holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from Florida State University and in 2022 was recognized by Florida Politics as a “30 under 30” Rising Star of Florida Politics.

Barney T. Bishop III, Director

Barney Bishop III is a is a serial entrepreneur, a native Floridian, and an Eagle Scout. He is a former President & Chief Executive Officer of Associated Industries of Florida, known since 1920 as “The Voice of Florida Business,” and is currently the President & CEO of Barney Bishop Consulting, a strategic public affairs firm. An outspoken advocate for the free enterprise system, Barney, is a former private investigator and his first registration was as a lobbyist in 1979 representing the Florida Association of Private Investigators and has been active at the federal, state, and local level ever since. Since moving to Tallahassee in 1983 he has worked as an aide to a Cabinet member, for the former Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, as executive director of the Florida Democratic Party, before founding two companies in Tallahassee. He has a long record of public service having been appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the Floria A & M University Board of Trustees, by then-Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophic Advisory Council, appointed by two DBPR Secretary’s to the Florida Engineers Management Corporation, served two terms as Chair of the Tallahassee Airport Advisory Committee, and was appointed by the Leon County Commission to the Leon County Research and Development Authority that oversees Innovation Park. In addition, he has served as Chairman of the Board of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, as former President of the Network of Entrepreneurs & Business Advocates (NEBA), former Board Chairman of The Economic Club of Florida, and former President of the Downtown Business Association of Tallahassee. Barney is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston, and he served for eleven years on their Board of Overseers finishing as Co-Chair. He is happily married to the former Shelby Lynn Stinson of Monteverde.

Jay Green, Director

Jay Green is the Director Of Sales And Marketing at Hotel Indigo Tallahassee Collegetown. Jay Green brings experience from previous roles at Hotel Duval, Autograph Collection, McKibbon Hospitality and Power 910AM and Power 99.1.

Chris Edwards, Director

Chris Edwards is Tallahassee Market President for MidSouth Bank. He is a seasoned commercial loan officer, having spent 15 years in the Atlanta market in commercial and small business lending for regional and community banks prior moving to Tallahassee in 2012 to work with a community bank as Commercial Sales Manager and lender. Originally from Tallahassee, Edwards is a graduate of Mercer University, Macon, GA and Tallahassee Community College where he also played college baseball. He is a graduate of the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Wharton Business School Leadership Program. Edwards is involved in several civic organizations and currently serves on the Board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, Board Member and President - Elect of the Tallahassee Community College Foundation, Board Member of the Downtown Business Association, and Board Member for the Friends of Our Parks Foundation. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Tallahassee and Leadership Tallahassee Class 32. He and his wife, Kim, reside in Tallahassee and have two children.

Barry Shields, Director

Barry has been in the private club industry since 1983 working exclusively in City Clubs. His career started at the Governors Club in 1983 as a Server, working his way through college. After graduating from the FSU School of Hospitality, Barry was hired by ClubCorp and worked at five different City Clubs around the Southeast. Those clubs included the First City Club in Savannah, GA, Citrus Club in Orlando, FL, The Buckhead Club in Atlanta, GA, the 191 Club also in Atlanta and finally the Capital City Club in Montgomery, AL. In 1996 Barry returned to Florida to manage The Tampa Club located in Tampa, FL where he held the position of General Manager for nearly 18 years. In January 2014, Barry returned to his hometown of Tallahassee for a unique opportunity to manage the Governors Club, where he fell in love with the private club industry.

Elias Mathes, Ex Officio Member

Elias is a community and economic development specialist with more than a dozen years of experience working with cities and counties across the nation in the areas of downtown development, urban planning, and project management. Elias is a native of Thomasville, GA and originally moved to Tallahassee in 2010 to attend Florida State University where he obtained master's degrees in Urban Planning and Business Administration. He has been CEO of the TDIA since April 2024.