To mark this exciting occasion, 18 South graciously hosted the Ocala Metro CEP staff, Board of Directors, and special guests in their beautiful Members Lounge for a special Watch Party Celebration. Guests enjoyed delicious food and drinks, sponsored by Zinnia Wealth Management, as we gathered to celebrate our finalist recognition for Chamber of the Year and honor the incredible work of the CEP team. It was a night full of pride, community, and well-deserved recognition!

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Leda Pérez, who has been named the new Executive Director of the Frank DeLuca YMCA. A strong communicator and coach, Leda has a proven track record in program development, team leadership, and community engagement. Her passion for wellness and her people-centered leadership style make her a fantastic fit for our community Y family.

Leda and her family are excited to continue to serve our Ocala community and continue to be engaged and involved with Ocala Business Leaders.

The Reilly Arts Center welcomes a variety of national and local artists for performances of rock, blues, soul and classical in August and September. Unless otherwise indicated, events are held at the Reilly Arts Center located at 500 NE 9th St. Ocala, FL 34470.  Tickets can be purchased at reillyartscenter.com or by contacting the Reilly Arts Center box office at (352) 351-1606. Box office hours are 10 AM – 2 PM, Tuesday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Reilly Arts Center during box office hours.

Unlimited Devotion: Celebrating the Music of the Grateful Dead
Friday, August 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM

Tickets from $28

Get ready to jam with Unlimited Devotion, Florida’s premier Grateful Dead tribute band! Blending the spirit of the Dead with their own jazz and funk influences, UD delivers high-energy, exploratory performances that keep fans coming back for more. From massive block parties to packed venues, this South Florida quintet brings the groove—and the good vibes—every time they hit the stage!

Press Images Available.

Girls Night: The Musical
Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 7:30 PM

Tickets from $40

Grab your friends and get ready to laugh, cry, and dance in the aisles—GIRLS NIGHT: THE MUSICAL is the ultimate night out! This Off-Broadway hit follows five friends on a hilarious and heartfelt journey through love, loss, and friendship, all set to a soundtrack of favorite hits like “It’s Raining Men,” “I Will Survive,” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.” It’s Mamma Mia meets Sex and the City—and it’s a party you don’t want to miss!

Press Images Available. Continue reading →

Field Trip Add-On Programming 

StarLab Planetarium

Explore the wonders of the night sky, tour the solar system and hear the myths behind our favorite constellations in our inflatable planetarium set up in the exhibit gallery. Up to 25 people can be accommodated with on-floor seating. ADA access is available and chairs can be made available upon request.

Animal Meet & Greet

Get to know some of our animal residents with a hands-on presentation. Students will have an opportunity to get up-close and even touch a few of our animals.

Animal Adaptations

Discover more about how animals adapt to their surroundings with a series of hands-on classroom activities that will challenge students from a new perspective.

NASA Space

Description: NASA Space is the classroom version of our StarLab Planetarium. Travel across our solar system on the big screen! Ask your curiosities about space while getting up close to our planets and let your imaginations run wild. Ideal for groups larger than 25.

The REC Marion County Monthly Meeting, will be held at Ocala Golf Banquet room located at 3130 E. Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala, FL 34470 FL, Monday July 21, 2025 at 6:30 PM. Doors open at 6 PM.  Next Month’s meeting at Ocala Golf Banquet Room on Monday Aug. 18, 2025 at 6:30 PM. Doors open at 6 PM.

Forward Momentum

By Tamara Fleischhaker

In Ocala, horses are more than just a backdrop—they’re the rhythm of daily life, the foundation of local identity, and the lifeblood of a multi-billion-dollar economy. But thanks to the CEP’s Equine Initiative, they’re also becoming a source of inspiration for the next generation. What began as a simple effort to educate business partners about the equine industry’s scope has grown into something far greater, a community-wide movement that reaches classrooms, sidewalks, and civic events.

Where Hooves Meet Literacy: In a county with more than 80,000 horses, not every child has the chance to meet one. But that’s exactly what happens through the CEP’s literacy outreach, developed in partnership with Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses. These tiny, trained therapy horses visit schools to promote reading, kindness, and confidence. The result is a heartwarming experience where children, some reading aloud for the first time without fear, share books with a patient four-legged listener by their side. This unique program doesn’t just teach literacy—it fosters empathy, curiosity, and a newfound love of horses among students who may never have had that opportunity otherwise. Continue reading →

By TomL

I love the CEP series about the schools interview with Lori Conrad. Many years ago while Obama was in office the Obama team led by Micheal Obama decided every child needed a college education.

So meanwhile while they were going through high  school some passed algebra or trigonometry. I took a poll of people and ask 20 people if they had ever used either of these subjects in their lives. 99% said no never used it, one said he did, he was a pilot. They said that students had to pass algebra to graduate. They were stuck, who do they go to if they can’t do a math problem. “Their parents? Their parents had never had it in school so many children got discouraged and just quite. They were left behind only to finish their high school education outside the school system. Are beginning to get the point. Then COVID hit!

Back then I started saying we needed to look at the curriculum, it was then I started saying in my papers that it would not work. Boys and Girls or men and women graduate from college and there was not enough jobs requiring a college education. Who is going to drive trucks? Who is going to do jobs that you does not require a college degree. Of course the college graduate does not want to drive a truck or work in construction so they don’t take a job that  back then for $5 or $6 per hour. After all they were a college graduate so the one’s without jobs floundered for a while until they had to take a job they did not want or starve. They applied their learning skills and wound up OK!    Continue reading →

Friends of the Ocala Public Library is holding its next clearance book sale beginning on Friday, August 1 for Friends members only, (but memberships are available at the door) from 1:30 pm-3:30 pm, and then opens to the general public on Saturday, August 2, 10 am-2 pm. Sale is held in the Ocala Public Library headquarters meeting rooms, 2720 Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.

Proceeds of the sale benefit children and adult programs, materials, audio and ebooks, and staff development at Ocala main, Reddick, Ft. McCoy, and Sankofa branches of the Marion County Public Library system.

All childrens books and all paperback books are 25 cents each, and all hardbacks are 50 cents each. Cash and checks only.

Ocala Business Leaders is a group of local professionals who provide a wide range of quality goods and services to our community. Each business strives to maintain the highest level of professional integrity and customer satisfaction. When you’re looking for goods or services, call a member of Ocala Business Leaders