Avalon Park Group has been a proud corporate citizen of Orange County, Florida since 1995. Over the decades, our company has operated in many industries around the world, including industrials, technology, health care, and real estate development. While many of Avalon Park Group’s present and future activities are now outside of Orange County, the heart of Avalon Park Group will always remain in Avalon Park Orlando.

Avalon Park is our flagship community. It is a Development of Regional Impact, or DRI, and today it is approximately 99% complete as a town where people can live, learn, work, and play. Families of multiple generations now call Avalon Park and the surrounding East Orange County area home. Together, this community represents a meaningful part of Orange County’s population, tax base, and future.

Many of Avalon Park Group’s families, friends, employees, residents, and business partners live, learn, work, and play in Avalon Park Orlando and throughout Orange County. We are proud of the diverse and multicultural community that has been built here, and we are equally proud of the global team that continues to carry Avalon Park Group’s mission forward.

For much of the past decade, Avalon Park Group has remained largely neutral in local Central Florida elections. In 2026, that changed. We made the decision to take a public position because we believe this is an important moment for Orange County, and in an effort to be fully transparent, we want to explain why.

Over the past several years, residents, business owners, HOA leaders, and community members in East Orange County have continued to express concern that this part of the county is too often overlooked when it comes to county resources and investment. These concerns include public safety, parks, athletic fields, arts and cultural programming, and other essential community services.

Avalon Park Group and Orange County have been partners for more than three decades. Over the years, many successful public-private partnerships have helped deliver important infrastructure and community improvements, including regional and local roads, schools, and cultural events. We know firsthand what is possible when the public and private sectors work together with urgency, accountability, and a shared commitment to the people we serve.

At the same time, many residents and business owners have contacted us with frustration about long-standing promises that have not yet been fully delivered. These include a regional park, additional athletic fields, a larger law enforcement presence, and other services needed by a growing and highly engaged community.

East Orange County is not asking for special treatment. It is asking to be heard, respected, and served fairly as part of Orange County.

The dreams, concerns, and requests of the many people who live, learn, work, and play in East Orange County are the reason I decided to become more active politically in 2026. In my opinion, meaningful progress starts with leadership at the top.

Over the past several months, I had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the candidates running for the Mayor of Orange County seat. After many hours of conversation and careful consideration, Avalon Park Group’s senior leadership team and I came to the conclusion that Stephanie Murphy is the candidate best prepared to serve Orange County as its next Mayor.

I believe Stephanie Murphy has the broadest and most relevant experience among the candidates. Orange County needs a leader who can deliver on promises made to voters, cut through bureaucracy, speed up government processes, and bring a fresh perspective to county leadership. In my opinion, this moment calls for someone from the outside who can approach the job with the mindset of a turnaround manager and the discipline of a proven leader.

Stephanie’s local, national, and international experience as a former United States Congresswoman, business leader, and education professional is the reason Avalon Park Group and I have chosen to support her campaign.

Our financial support is not about Avalon Park Group needing something from the county. Avalon Park Orlando is approximately 99% complete. This support is about the many East Orange County residents, taxpayers, families, and business owners who have asked for change, accountability, and delivery on promises that have been made over many years.

There is also a personal reason I support Stephanie Murphy.

After more than 30 years as a permanent resident, I recently had the honor of becoming a naturalized United States citizen. My journey began in humble circumstances in a small apartment in Zurich, Switzerland, and led me to the opportunity to become a global entrepreneur. It is a classic immigrant story that could only happen in America.

Stephanie Murphy’s journey is different from mine, but it carries a similar spirit. She came to this country as a refugee from Vietnam, grew up in a working-class family, built a career in business and public service, and went on to serve in the United States Congress. Hers, too, is a story that reflects the promise only America can offer.

While our life stories are very different, there is a bond that connects us. We are both immigrants who deeply value the opportunity this country has given us. We both understand the meaning of the small American flag received at an oath ceremony and what it represents: freedom, responsibility, opportunity, and service.

That is why Avalon Park Group and I are supporting Stephanie Murphy for Orange County Mayor. We believe she has the experience, perspective, and leadership needed to help Orange County move forward and to ensure that all parts of the county, including East Orange County, are heard, respected, and served.