Royce became the executive director in October of 2020. Prior to joining FTA, he was a consultant and spent a year in Puerto Rico with the Friends of San Juan National Historic. Royce served over 11 years as the Senior Director of Membership and Development at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) where he won awards for his fundraising work including a Direct Marketing Association MAXI award and two Gold Awards from Fundraising Success magazine. During his tenure at ATC fundraising revenue nearly tripled. Royce has spent the past 25 plus years in non-profit fundraising for a variety of organizations.

Royce was raised Mississippi and graduated high school in Arkansas before moving to Washington, D.C. where he earned a BA in Political Science from The American University. He spent nearly 20 years living within site of the Appalachian Trail in Harpers Ferry, WV and in 2021 moved to Gainesville.

Janet Akerson became the part-time bookkeeper for FTA in 2002. Her responsibilities evolved, and in 2009 she became the Administrative Director.

She manages the Gainesville office, supervises the FTA staff, helps with event planning, and continues to keep the books.

Janet grew up in St. Petersburg, FL, and attended Berry College and the University of Florida. Since 1976, Janet and her husband, Randy, have lived in Gainesville, where they managed Burrito Bros. Taco Co. – a popular local restaurant – until 2017. They have been members of the FTA since 1982.

Jeff manages 400 miles of the Florida Trail on the eastern and western corridors of the trail from the Ocala National Forest to Suwannee River State Park and from Green Swamp West to Silver Springs State Park. He joined the FTA in 2013.

Jeff works with volunteers and agency partners to coordinate trail construction, maintenance, protection, gap closures, and outreach efforts. He also engages volunteers in stewardship events on the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Previously, Jeff worked with the Student Conservation Association (’06 – ’13), as both a seasonal trail crew leader and a full-time staff member. For 4 years he managed a large SCA program and maintained 100 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail through the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. He has led crews in Alaska, the US Virgin Islands, Arizona, Colorado, and Kentucky.

Jeff is a graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, where he studied environmental education and outdoor leadership. An avid hiker, he loves to spend time out on the trail with his kids and the best trail dog around, Strawberry, as well as playing music, fermenting food, and organic agriculture.

Jenna Taylor has joined the FTA team after spending the last 8 years serving as the AmeriCorps Program Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties. A native Floridian, Jenna is a graduate of Flagler College where she earned a BA in Psychology and Communications. She then completed a Masters in Social Work through Florida State University with a certification in non-profit and emergency management.

When she isn’t working, Jenna can be found serving her community as a coach for Girls on the Run and the Special Olympics Equestrian teams. Jenna lives in Fort Pierce with her husband James and her two hiking partners, her dogs Gracie and Magnolia.