Carol B. Dover

President and CEO, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA)

If there’s one thing that Carol Dover can do, it’s build a bridge. She’s not a carpenter or a construction chief, but the skill has been essential in her nearly 30 years as president and CEO of the 10,000-member Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), as well as in her work as a lobbyist and government executive, and board member for the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and Visit Florida as well as serving as chair of the Florida Horse Park.

Dover’s work protects, educates, and promotes the diverse interests of Florida’s $111.7 billion hospitality industry, which employs 2 million diverse individuals. She’s received many awards and honors, including being named the FSU Alumni of the Year; she received the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show Beacon Award; and, in 2024, she was inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame for her contributions to the growth and success of Florida’s tourism and hospitality industry.

How do you define success?

I believe that success is working hard each day and never compromising your integrity. I define success as establishing a team to trust and share a vision with and then watching as they achieve it.

Describe a defining moment in your career.

I’ve been blessed with many incredible moments, but the defining moment was my recent induction into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame. To be recognized among such legendary industry icons from Walt Disney and John Ringling to Governor Jeb Bush and Harris Rosen has been the honor of a lifetime.

Do you have an inspiration or mentor in your career journey, and how did they impact you?

Definitely my mother. Whether facing challenges early on in my career when few women were in leadership roles in hospitality or when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a global economic collapse that wiped out nearly 100,000 hotels and restaurants in the U.S., I have thought of my greatest mentor—my mother—and her constant reminder to me to never, ever give up.

What are you passionate about outside of the workplace?

As a breast cancer survivor, I am engaged in raising awareness and funds for breast cancer. I’m a competitive equestrian who lives on and runs a working horse farm, and I’m an active and involved mother and grandmother. My family is everything to me.

What advice do you have for young women pursuing their careers?

Never give up. Build bridges. Do not compete, but lift each other up and share your successes. We can accomplish so much more together.

Videography by Boo Media.