Staff

Michael Taylor

Co-Owner & Executive Board Member

Michael Taylor's longevity in professional sports is matched only by his success. Most recently Michael was the owner of the Florida Tarpons arena football team from 2012-2020. For the last eight years, his Florida Tarpons have played in five league championship games, winning two, including titles in 2013 – and in 2015.

His history goes back all the way to the early 2000s, with the San Angelo Texas, an expansion team in 2004 in the Intense Football League which earned a playoff berth in their inaugural season. The year following, as President of the Richmond Bandits in the Atlantic Indoor Football League, the Bandits won that league's championship, going 11-1, in their expansion season.

Specializing in development of expansion franchises Taylor was VP of the Fairbanks Grizzlies in Alaska in 2008.

Born and currently living in the greater Tampa area, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Sports Coaching Degree from the United States Sports Academy, and graduated high school from Hollow Rock Bruceton Central High School in Tennessee.

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Andrew Haines

Co-Owner & Executive Board Member

Andrew Haines, a Sports Executive, Entrepreneur and marketing guru is currently president of HSE, a sports & entertainment marketing, and consulting company. For the past several years, HSE has worked with professional sports teams in soccer, arena football, baseball, as well as properties within the sports & entertainment industry. Andrew was also the VP of sales for the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball team until August 2020.

Andrew has served as General Manager, CEO, and Owner in the Major Arena Soccer League since 2012 until 2020. Most recently, Andrew was General Manager of the Orlando SeaWolves in the MASL. From 2015-2018, he owned and operated Central Florida Sports Ventures which owned Florida Tropics SC (indoor soccer), and Lakeland Tropics (outdoor soccer).

During 2012-2015, Andrew led STL Sports Ventures which owned and operated both the St. Louis Ambush (indoor soccer) and St. Louis Attack (arena football). Prior to 2012, Andrew has owned and operated several minor league sports teams, and leagues since 2001.

Outside of sport, Andrew has his Florida 2-20 Insurance License, along with Florida 2-14 Life Insurance License. In addition to insurance, Andrew is a licensed Real Estate Agent in Florida.

Andrew has always been committed to the community, having volunteers with dozens of non-profit organizations and at community events. He has also served on the board of Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, Urban League, and the City-County Library Foundation.

With over 17 years of sales, marketing, and management experience within professional sports, Andrew had led some of the best front office staffs.

Awarded Top 50 in Business (St. Louis, MO), Best of the Best award from Street Scape Magazine in 2014.

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Phillip Lin

Minority Owner/President

Born in Taiwan, Phillip grew up in the western North Carolina foothills. Finding himself immersed American culture, Phillip used his love of sports to connect with classmates and neighbors, building his first friendships in a new country. Phillip worked in his family’s Chinese restaurant as he completed high school and college, graduating from Gardner-Webb University with degrees in computer science and mathematics. After moving to the Raleigh-Durham area, Phillip continued to use his love of sports as he participated in company intramural activities. Phillip graduated from North Carolina Central University in 2004 with a Masters of Science in Mathematics. His career has led him through a variety of companies including IBM and SAS.

In 2013, Phillip purchased a catering company in Cary, NC. With knowledge of the food industry from his youth, Phillip has been successful at managing and growing his company. Throughout his entrepreneurship, Phillip has enjoyed watching a variety of sports. From attending hockey and baseball games to catering at golf tournaments, the ways people connect through a shared love of sport has always made sense to him.

Helping to support the NISL’s Fayetteville Fury fulfills a life-long dream to own a part of a sports franchise. Throughout his career as an inventor, engineer, author, and businessman, Phillip has pursued the American Dream. His investment in the team is another step along that path.

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Terry Foster

General Manager

Terry Foster joins the Fayetteville Fury as their General Manager for the upcoming season. Foster has over 20 years of experience working in professional sports and most recently comes to Fayetteville from the Jersey Flight, where he was the General Manager/Head Coach.

Foster has also been the General Manager for the Detroit Thunder, Arizona Adrenaline, and the West Michigan Thunder Hawks. He has also worked in the front office for the High Country Grizzlies, Cape Fear Heroes. Prior to joining the front office with sports teams, he played from 2001 through 2005 for the Grand Rapids Rampage (AFL) and the Green Bay Blizzard (AFL2).

Terry attended Grand Valley State University and was a member and 2-year captain of the football program led by Brian Kelly.

Foster, currently resides in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with his fiancé Letitia Picklesimer and two children Tyson (11) and Maelani (7).

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Jay Burbee

Asst. General Manager

Phone910-438-4157

Jay Burbee brings over 30 years of coaching experience to the Fayetteville Fury organization. He has a BS in Sport Management from California University of PA, and an MS in Recreation and Sport Sciences with a concentration in Coaching Education from Ohio University, he also has a USSF National B Coaching License. He has coached two years of Semi-Professional soccer in the UPSL. He also has 4 years of experience as a college head coach at Wake Technical Community College, 4 years of experience at the ODP level for PA West Soccer, and he coached for numerous youth clubs in both North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Jay grew up playing soccer and began training at age 5 in the small town of Girard, PA. After finishing his high school career, he played at both Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY, and California University of PA in California, PA. Jay went on to play at the Semi-Professional level until an injury ended his playing career. Soon after, he began coaching at the youth level and never looked back. Jay has worked alongside some of the top coaches in the country during his career.

Jay currently resides in Moncure, NC, with his wife, Julie, and his twin children, Trevor and Kaylee.

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Donald Bunney

Creative Director

Donald’s love for design started at 9 years old, designing uniforms and shoes for NBA teams. In high school, that progressed to doodling logos for pro wrestlers, bands, athletic teams, and the like. Cut to several years later, he pursued a degree in education and became a teacher.

Admittedly, he still got to play with colors and shapes, but he realized he needed to change course. In pursuit of his true passion, Donald went back to school to study design and started freelancing. That path quickly led to diving head-first into starting his own shop and becoming a full-service branding agency. He is now the Owner & Design Director of Egghead Creative.

Family is at the heart of everything he does and has helped him become the man he is today. By his side are his three amazing children and incredible wife. He’s kind of a nerd. And his head is also kind of shaped like an egg.

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Albeiro Florez

Director of Community Engagement

Phone910-494-2651

Albeiro (Al) Florez, was born in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and raised in El Salvador, Central America from when he was three weeks old. He has over 17 years of happy marriage to his beautiful wife Jessica, and together they have three amazing sons, Julian, Adrian, and Christian.

Al started playing soccer in El Salvador at an early age. Played for Colegio Champagnat in High School, where he earned a spot to the National U-15 men’s team. He also played in CONCACAF U-17 championship, and Club Deportivo FAS. While in the US Army, he began coaching for the USO, and the local rec teams. Later, he coached at MCCS Foster in Okinawa Japan. After the military he began advancing his coaching skills thru the US Soccer Learning Center where he has received several licenses and certifications (USSF-ID: 1000-0000-0024-7615). He currently mentors and teaches coaches through a program at N Zone Sports All American. Aside from coaching, Al serves as the Cumberland County Application Development and Support Manager, where he mainly spends his time researching, planning, and developing solutions for existing problems within the county and its agencies, internally and externally Al has served on various Boards and Committees, where he focus his passion for Cumberland County and gains experience on our amazing community we serve. These include the NC Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs as a councilman, board member of Latinos United for Progress, board member the Armed Forces YMCA, trustee of the Fayetteville/Cumberland Arts Council, board member of the Cumberland County Workforce Development Board, and currently as an advisor member to the Cumberland County Academy of Information Technology, and committee member of the Cumberland County Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion advisory committee. Al’s most recent awards and recognitions include the Fayetteville Young Professional of the Year award, the Fayetteville Observer’s 40 under 40, and the Presidential National Engaged Leader Award presented by the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Al has a Business Intelligence Master of Science from Full Sail University, and he is currently a doctoral cohort at North Central University pursuing a PhD in Technology and Innovation Management with a Data Science Specialization.

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ShaDonna "Mo" McPhaul

Marketing and Advertising

Phone910-574-3346

ShaDonna McPhaul, also known as ‘Mo’ is a combat veteran with 20 years of loyal service to the United States Air Force, and a skilled communications and customer relations professional.

In 2013, she merged her compassion and entrepreneurial spirit and created Mo’s Heroes Inc. and The Mo You Know Marketing and Media Consulting Services, LLC. As Chief Executive Officer and Founder, her vision for Mo’s Heroes is to be the conduit and champion for the support for veterans, service members and their family members needed to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Mo has been featured in GI Jobs Magazine, US Veterans Magazine, Kin + Dignity Magazine, Be Encouraged Magazine, Life in the Overflow Magazine, The Huffington Post, The State of New Mexico Office of African American Affairs Statewide Focus Magazine, Ardent for Life, the Fayetteville Observer Newspaper, Cannon Connections Newspaper, Women’s View Magazine, Arraydio Podcast, Array Magazine, The Fayetteville Press Newspaper, The Fayetteville Observer and Ho’okele Newspaper. She has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and various digital blogs and other media outlets.

She has co-authored two best-selling books, Shift On, and The Voices Behind Mental Illness Anthology: The Life of a Veteran. She recently released a new e-book, It’s Not What You Know, It’s the Mo You Know.

She currently hosts “The Mo You Growth Impact Radio Show” where she interviews upcoming and coming entrepreneurs and “The Mo You Know Growth Impact Radio Show”. She has also worked on the sales, marketing, and promotions side of radio.

Mo has received several awards and recognition to include the Special Achievement Award from the NAACP-Honolulu Branch, The Mountaire Farms “Better Carolina Award, and the Values.com “Hero of the Month” for January 2015. She has also received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition and other special recognition awards from military leaders, elected officials, and community organizations. The Department of Veterans Affair recognized Mo as “Veteran of the Day” in February 2020 to kick off “Black History Month”.

She is the loving mother of son, Charles and a proud native of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

ShaDonna “Mo” McPhaul

Your MObile Marketing MOgul

Www.shadonnamcphaul.com

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Tanja Smith

Community Relations Representative

Phone334-332-4705

Tanja was born and raised in Germany. There she grew up loving sports, especially soccer.

Tanja has 14 years of military service and continues to serve. During this time, she has deployed as well as functioned in many different and very rewarding leadership positions, including Drill Sergeant. Tanja is an Army trained Licensed Practical Nurse and former Medic. She is passionate about people, getting to know what their needs are and helping them grow both professionally and personally.

Tanja has a bachelor's degree in Sports and Health Science and is currently studying for her master's degree in Athletic Development Management. She is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Tanja is trained as an Army Master Fitness Trainer and Master Resilience Trainer. Her goal is to become an Athletic Trainer after retiring from the Military.

Tanja has been married for almost 9 years. She and her husband have a 2-year-old daughter and have another little girl on the way.

Her hobbies include traveling, exploring new cities and foods, spending time with friends and family, watching football and soccer, and doing some crafts.