Here is a fresh look at the influence being used to shove this through in three weeks time while you work like a dog to survive.

We are being run over, scraped up and tossed to the curb. These people do not care about us. We have to do more. Do what is necessary to get them to hear !

The Indiantown Influence Network: A Complete Narrative Explanation of the Master Chart

Over the past several months, we have built a detailed map of power and influence in the Village of Indiantown, Florida. What began as an effort to understand who was behind the aggressive push for massive data center and industrial development has evolved into something much larger: a clear picture of a sophisticated, multi-layered network that stretches from local real estate interests all the way to the Governor’s office.

The Master EIC → State Level Chart is the culmination of this work. It is not just a diagram — it is a diagnostic tool designed to reveal how a relatively small group of interconnected individuals and organizations has achieved extraordinary influence over the future of an entire community. This narrative will walk you through the chart in detail, explaining not only what each element represents, but why it matters and how it fits into the larger system.

The Core of the Network: The Economic Council of Indiantown

At the very top of the chart sits the Economic Council of Indiantown (ECI). On the surface, it appears to be a typical local economic development organization — the kind you might find in any growing community. But a closer look reveals something far more significant.

The ECI is not operating as an independent voice for the community. Instead, it functions as the central organizing body for a coordinated development agenda. Its members and close affiliates include some of the most powerful players in Indiantown and Martin County: Josh Kellam of The Garcia Companies, Kevin Powers of Indiantown Realty, David Powers on the Martin County Business Development Board, Brian Powers (owner of Florida Commerce Park), Scott Watson of Indiantown Marina, and Nelson Ferreira of Ferreira Development.

What makes this group particularly notable is the overlap between their private business interests and their public or quasi-public roles. Several ECI members sit on official boards that give them direct influence over the very projects they stand to benefit from. This is not accidental. It is a deliberate structure that allows private interests to shape public policy from multiple angles.

The Gatekeeper: Taryn Kryzda and the Contractor Network

One of the most important figures in the entire network is Taryn Kryzda, the Village Manager of Indiantown. She is positioned on the chart as the Gatekeeper — and for good reason.

Taryn Kryzda is not a typical small-town administrator. Before becoming Village Manager in 2022, she spent nearly 35 years in Martin County government, including 11 years as County Administrator. This gives her an extraordinary depth of institutional knowledge and relationships across the county. In her current role, she controls the day-to-day operations of the Village, prepares the agenda for Council meetings, manages staff, and makes recommendations on major development projects.

Critically, several key individuals who work on development issues report directly to her — and they are paid contractors, not protected civil servants. This includes Kloee Ciuperger (who serves as both EIC CEO and Village lobbyist), Deena Freedman (Community Development Director), and Wade Vose (Village Attorney). These contractors are in positions of significant responsibility, yet they report to Taryn and can be influenced through their employment relationship. This creates a clear chain of command and potential vulnerability to pressure or collusion.

Taryn herself maintains direct collaboration with the EIC. She works closely with its leadership on major projects, including the FPL annexation and rezoning efforts. This makes her one of the most powerful unelected officials in the entire network — a bridge between the private advocacy of the EIC and the official decision-making of the Village Council.

County-Level Power: Institutional Capture

Moving down the chart, we enter the County Level — and here the network’s reach becomes even more striking.

Several key figures hold positions on powerful county boards:

• David Powers sits on the Martin County Business Development Board (MCBDB), giving the Powers family direct influence over economic development policy and incentives.
• Stacy Hetherington, a Martin County Commissioner, has received over $278,000 from Ferreira Construction — an EIC member and major developer behind the Silver Fox 606 project. She also participated in the EIC-funded data center study trip to Loudoun County, Virginia.
• Marsha Powers (Kevin Powers’ wife) serves as Chair of the Martin County School Board, extending the family’s influence into education and workforce development.
• Carmine DiPaolo, Mayor of Indiantown, sits on the Martin County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MCMPO), which controls transportation planning — including decisions about SR 710, a critical corridor for the large industrial projects the EIC supports.

This is not random. It represents institutional capture — the strategic placement of aligned individuals across multiple boards and commissions that control land use, economic development, education, and infrastructure. When these boards make decisions, they are not operating independently. They are connected through personal relationships, family ties, and shared interests.

State-Level Reach: Appointments and the Governor’s Office

At the bottom of the chart lies the State Level — and this is where the closed loop of influence becomes most visible.

Two of the most powerful EIC members have held or currently hold seats on major state boards:

• Josh Kellam was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in August 2025. This gives him direct influence over wildlife permitting, habitat reviews, and land-use decisions that can affect large development projects.
• Kevin Powers was originally appointed to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) by Governor Charlie Crist in 2009 and later reappointed (and elevated to Vice Chair) by Governor Rick Scott. He served approximately eight years on this powerful board, which controls water management and Everglades restoration policy across much of South Florida.

These are not minor positions. They give the network direct access to state-level decision-making on issues that are critical to large-scale development.

The Governor himself has made multiple high-profile visits to Indiantown, including attending the Terra Lago grand opening (a Garcia Companies project) in July 2025, where he personally delivered a $22.5 million check to the Village. This demonstrates a direct relationship between the Governor’s office and key figures in the EIC network.

The Projects: The Common Goal

On the right side of the chart are the Major Projects that serve as the unifying purpose of the entire network:

• Tesoro Groves PUD — 5,722 acres owned by FPL, currently moving through the approval process for light industrial and data center development.
• Silver Fox 606 — A major data center project backed by Ferreira Development (an EIC member).
• FPL itself — Not just a utility, but a major landowner and political player with its own significant influence at the state level.

Every connection on the chart ultimately serves to advance these projects — securing approvals, infrastructure, political cover, and favorable policy decisions.

The Closed Loop of Influence

What makes this network particularly powerful is that it operates as a closed loop with influence flowing in both directions.

Top-Down: The Governor appoints key EIC figures to state boards, delivers major funding, and provides political legitimacy.

Bottom-Up: Local actors (the EIC, the Powers family, the Village Manager, the Mayor) deliver development wins, policy alignment, and political support that benefit the Governor’s economic agenda.

This creates a self-reinforcing system where everyone involved has something to gain — and very little incentive to question the direction of development in Indiantown.

Patterns, Concerns, and the Power of the Chart

Several troubling patterns emerge from this structure:

• Family concentration of power — The Powers family controls real estate, the Business Development Board, industrial land, and the School Board.
• Financial overlap — Stacy Hetherington’s substantial payments from Ferreira Construction while serving as a Commissioner.
• Dual roles and blurred lines — Multiple individuals hold positions in both private advocacy organizations and public institutions.
• Lack of transparency — Many of these relationships are not clearly disclosed when major land-use decisions are being made.

The Master Chart is effective precisely because it makes these patterns visible. It transforms a complex web of relationships into a clear, hierarchical structure that anyone can understand. It shows not just who is connected to whom, but how those connections create real power — power that is being used to reshape an entire community.

This is not a story of random development. It is the story of a sophisticated, multi-layered system of influence that has captured key institutions at the local, county, and state levels — all in service of a specific development agenda.

The chart does not prove illegal collusion. But it does document a concentration of power and a pattern of overlapping interests that raises serious questions about transparency, accountability, and the future of democratic decision-making in Indiantown.

That is the power — and the purpose — of the Master EIC → State Level Chart.

flowchart TD
    classDef top fill:#FFCC22,stroke:#26334A,stroke-width:5px,color:#26334A
    classDef middle fill:#FFAA66,stroke:#26334A,stroke-width:4px,color:#26334A
    classDef county fill:#FF9999,stroke:#26334A,stroke-width:4px,color:#26334A
    classDef state fill:#99CC99,stroke:#26334A,stroke-width:4px,color:#26334A
    classDef clickable fill:#E06C6C,stroke:#26334A,stroke-width:5px,color:#FFFFFF
    classDef project fill:#66B2FF,stroke:#26334A,stroke-width:4px,color:#FFFFFF
    classDef narrative fill:#6c757d,stroke:#26334A,stroke-width:4px,color:#FFFFFF

    ECI["Economic Council of Indiantown
(ECI) 👆"]:::clickable
    VillageOps["Village Operations
(Taryn Kryzda - Gatekeeper) 👆"]:::clickable
    CountyPower["County Power Structure
(MCBDB • MCBOCC • School Board • MCMPO) 👆"]:::clickable
    StateReach["State-Level Influence
(FWC • SFWMD • Governor) 👆"]:::clickable
    Governor["Governor Ron DeSantis 👆"]:::clickable
    Projects["Major Projects
(Tesoro Groves • Silver Fox 606 • FPL • Terra Lago) 👆"]:::clickable
    Narrative["📖 Click to Read Full Narrative Summary"]:::narrative

    ECI --> VillageOps
    VillageOps --> CountyPower
    CountyPower --> StateReach
    StateReach --> Governor
    ECI --> Projects
    VillageOps -.-> Projects
    CountyPower -.-> Projects
    Narrative -.-> ECI