Firm

Ric Owens

Ric Owens is a lifelong designer with more than 35 years of professional experience in architecture, interiors, planning, and environmental design. His appreciation for design began at the age of 14 while working alongside his father at the family’s civil engineering and surveying company, where he developed an early understanding of how thoughtful planning, architecture, and the surrounding environment work together.

After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Environmental Design from East Carolina University in 1991, Ric founded Owens Planning and Design in Miami, Florida. Over the next 25 years, he built a successful practice specializing in high-end residential design and some of South Florida’s most prominent condominium developments. Throughout much of his career, Ric had the opportunity to collaborate with Mrs. Mary Roberts, establishing a creative partnership that would ultimately lead to some of his most ambitious projects.

In early 2018, Ric relocated to Ocala, Florida, to design exclusively for Roberts Design Group. Working closely with Mrs. Roberts and his design team, Ric has helped bring an extensive portfolio of luxury projects to life, including hotels, corporate offices, model homes, real estate sales centers, restaurants, golf clubs, spas, commercial spaces, and award-winning private residences.

Among his most significant undertakings has been his role as Project Coordinator of Interiors and Exteriors for the World Equestrian Center – Ocala, helping shape the design and aesthetic identity of buildings throughout the expansive resort property. His work blends luxury, functionality, architectural character, and meticulous attention to detail to create spaces that are both distinctive and enduring.

In 2021, Ric’s work on The Equestrian Hotel received international recognition at the Gold Key Awards in New York City, where the property was recognized in the Best Luxury Hotel design category.

The continued growth of World Equestrian Center has provided Ric and Roberts Design Group with an extraordinary canvas for large-scale hospitality and commercial design. In 2024, the 398-room Riding Academy Hotel opened at the resort, followed in 2025 by the 300,000-square-foot Equestrian Manor, an expansive event and hospitality destination.

The evolution continues in 2026 with The Shoppes Off 80th, a major retail expansion bringing 28 new storefronts to the property, including four concepts directly owned and operated by World Equestrian Center. Each new addition presents an opportunity to further develop the distinctive visual identity and guest experience that has become synonymous with the property.

Looking ahead, Ric is excited to continue his collaboration with Mrs. Roberts and Roberts Design Group as World Equestrian Center enters its next chapter of growth, including the development of Sports at WEC and the many design opportunities that will accompany the resort’s continued expansion.

For Ric, the evolution of World Equestrian Center represents the culmination of decades spent transforming ideas into environments—creating spaces that are not simply designed to be seen, but designed to be experienced.

Rashida Erskine

Raised in the hospitality industry, Rashida developed an appreciation for service, collaboration, and design at an early age. With a mother who was a hotelier in Jamaica and a father who owned and operated nightclubs in New York, Florida, and Jamaica, she grew up understanding that success is built through the collective efforts of an entire team.

Those experiences instilled in her a lifelong passion for learning, a respect for collaboration, and a strong sense of ownership in everything she undertakes. Throughout her career, Rashida has managed diverse projects ranging from experiential event production to full-scale residential and commercial design, developing an ability to balance creative vision, business objectives, functionality, and exceptional user experiences.

Today, as Creative Design Director she brings that experience to a multidisciplinary team united by a shared purpose: creating thoughtfully designed environments where people live, gather, relax, and make lasting memories. Her work is driven by the belief that exceptional design should do more than create beautiful spaces—it should transform them into the memorable theater of everyday life.