Martha Jones announced Sunday, Nov. 9, 2026, that she is leaving her position as executive director of the American Farrier’s Association.

The AFA has enjoyed a great deal of growth since Jones became the executive director July 1, 2019. The association has expanded its certification program, international outreach and created a foundation that is transforming its future. These include the Certified Race Plater exam, reciprocity with the Farrier International Testing System, the AFA International Outreach Committee and the AFA Foundation.

“Serving [the AFA membership] has been one of the greatest privileges of my lifetime, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity and the friendships I’ve made along the way that I will carry with me always,” she wrote in the AFA News & Updates email newsletter. “But part of being in a position like this is recognizing when it’s time for new energy and ideas, and it is my belief that time has come.”

Jones came to the AFA having spent nearly her entire career in trade association management. Between her roles as the executive vice president of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Indiana/Kentucky and the vice president of operations at the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville, she brings with her a combined 14 years of experience in the day-to-day management of associations.

“I could not be more excited to join the AFA team,” Jones said in June 2019. “To be able to combine my love of horses with my career experience is a unique and special opportunity that I feel fortunate to have been offered.”

As the executive vice president of ABC, Martha was responsible for overall business operations, the annual operating budget, legislative advocacy, membership growth and retention, apprenticeship oversight, strategic planning, and brand awareness for an association of over 700 member businesses in the commercial and industrial construction industry. Following a relocation to the greater Louisville area, she assumed the vice president of operations position at the BIA, where she was responsible for staff operations, communications, membership and retention, business development, the Building Industry Charitable Foundation, which held a 501(c)3 designation, and strategic planning for an association of over 2,000 member companies and individuals in the residential and commercial construction sectors. In both roles, she was a staff liaison to the boards of directors and was responsible for volunteer management on both committees and task forces.