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Donna Deegan

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Transition

On May 16, 2023, the people of Jacksonville elected Donna Deegan to serve as the city’s next mayor. Mayor Deegan officially took office on July 1, 2023, and the process to ensure a successful and seamless transition into the Mayor’s Office is underway.

Our Mission

The Deegan Administration will be guided by the principle that every person should have a voice in City Hall and a seat at the table. Our culture will be an inclusive one where we encourage collaboration between leaders from all walks of life and who look like Jacksonville. Transparency, accountability, and innovation will be at the center of our decisions as we build a bridge to the next generation and industries of the future. These values will guide the next chapter in Jacksonville’s history and the culture that we will strive to create.

Mayor Deegan is committed to a comprehensive review of opportunities and challenges facing Jacksonville and identifying policy solutions that give every person the opportunity to have a good quality of life. To fulfill that pledge, the transition team is forming a series of policy and outreach committees charged with developing plans that move forward Mayor Deegan’s vision of a healthy, safe, resilient, inclusive, and innovative city that works for all of us.

Transition Focus Areas

  • Infrastructure
  • Health
  • Economy
  • Public Safety
  • Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
  • Constituency and Community Outreach
  • Military and Veteran Affairs

Mayor Deegan and her transition team will work with relentless optimism to lift our city and bring the beautiful mosaic we call Jacksonville together for its greatest good.

Committees

As part of the transition process, Mayor Donna Deegan’s transition team is conducting a review of the opportunities and challenges facing Jacksonville. Today she is announcing the committees and leaders who will identify policy solutions that give every person the opportunity to have a good quality of life. The focus areas include infrastructure; health; economic development; public safety; arts, culture, and entertainment; constituency and community outreach; and military and veterans.

  • The Infrastructure Committee will focus on neighborhoods, the downtown riverfront, parks and recreation, resiliency, affordable housing, and homelessness. This focus area will be led by former Jacksonville City Council Member, construction business owner, and restaurateur Garrett Dennis.
  • The Health Committee will focus on the appointment of a Chief Health Officer; maternal and children’s health; primary and dental care access; mental health and addiction; elder care; social determinants of health; and health insurance. This focus area will be led by nationally recognized financial advisor and physician Carolyn McClanahan, M.D., CFP.
  • The Economic Development Committee will focus on permitting, ladders for small business, talent development, and downtown development. This focus area will be led by JEA Director of Economic Development Ed Randolph, who previously served as the city’s Director of Business Development.
  • The Public Safety Committee will focus on revisiting the Jacksonville Journey; a city-wide effort to boost literacy and grow prevention and intervention programs. This focus area will be led by former Education Chair of the Jacksonville Journey, past Duval School Board Chairman, and attorney W.C. Gentry.
  • The Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Committee will focus on retaining local art talent, public and private programming, art in public spaces and buildings, and attracting more public events. This focus area will be led by Yellow House Founder and Director Hope McMath.
  • The Constituency and Community Outreach Committee will focus on diversity, youth outreach, faith outreach, higher education, and non-profits. This focus area will be led by University of North Florida professor and two-term member of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission Parvez Ahmed.
  • The Military and Veterans Committee will focus on the main issues and concerns facing our local military members, establishing a veterans community center, and the need for more access to veteran activities and services in Jacksonville. This focus area will be led by retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Rick Snyder.

Transition Co-Chairs and Staff

This group of collaborators, problem solvers, innovators, and leaders brings vast experience in government, business, philanthropy, and community engagement.

Co-Chairs

  • Lakesha Burton
  • Mayor John Delaney
  • Kevin Gay
  • Sheriff Nat Glover
  • David Miller
  • Darnell Smith

Staff

  • Pat McCollough, Transition Advisor
  • Phil Perry, Transition Advisor

Transition Co-Chair Bios

Lakesha Burton

Lakesha Burton is a retired JSO Assistant Chief and former candidate for Jacksonville Sheriff. She currently serves as the Crime & Safety analyst for WJXT4. She’s a retired 24-year veteran police officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, where she rose through the ranks to become the first woman to be Executive Director of the Police Athletic League and the fourth African American woman in JSO history to become an Assistant Chief. Burton is widely known for boldly sharing her life’s story of resilience, tenacity, and determination to help empower other girls and women with hope for their futures. In honor of her twin sister, she founded "Tesha's Hands," a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports special needs students, underprivileged families, and caregivers who lost a child to senseless violence.

Mayor John Delaney

Mayor John Delaney served as Mayor from 1995 to 2003, during which time he spearheaded the $2.5 billion Better Jacksonville Plan, which gave the city new infrastructure, parks, and buildings. He also created the Preservation Project, a 100-square-mile park system, the largest of its kind for a city in the country. He currently serves as the President of Flagler College in St. Augustine. Previously, Mayor Delaney served as the University of North Florida President, Jacksonville General Counsel, and the Chief Assistant State Attorney for Florida’s Fourth Circuit.

Kevin Gay

Kevin Gay founded Operation New Hope and led the organization as CEO from 1999 to 2022. Under his 23 years of stewardship, Operation New Hope helped more than 10,000 individuals impacted by the criminal justice system successfully reconnect to the workforce. Four presidential administrations have sought out his expertise and model program. Kevin was named Ultimate CEO by the Jacksonville Business Journal and received the OneJax Humanitarian Award, in addition to many more state, national, and international awards for his work.

Sheriff Nat Glover

Sheriff Nat Glover rose through the ranks of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and was elected as the first Black sheriff elected in Florida since the Reconstruction era. In 2021, he was inducted into the Florida Law Enforcement Officers' Hall of Fame. Sheriff Glover was a mayoral candidate and served as the President of Edward Waters College, Florida’s first institution established for the education of African Americans. He is also a champion for children, having served on boards for the New Town Success Zone, Tiger Academy, The Bridge of Northeast Florida, and Take Stock in Children.

David Miller

David Miller is the co-founder and executive chairman of Brightway Insurance, one of the largest property and casualty insurance agencies in the country. David served as the Emerald Trail Co-Champion, worked with local leaders on LiftJax, and founded OurJax. He is a longtime supporter of the United Way of Northeast Florida and has served on a number of boards including OneJax, Leadership Jacksonville, JAX Chamber, Jacksonville Civic Council, and Jewish Community Alliance. When Jacksonville experienced a surge in hate speech, David launched the Together Strong Community Fund with a $1 million donation to combat antisemitism and bias.

Darnell Smith

Darnell Smith plays an active role in the health of Jacksonville as the North Florida Market President at Florida Blue. Darnell has served on boards of the Sulzbacher Center, Communities in Schools of Florida, the Florida Blue Foundation, Cathedral Arts Project, YMCA of Florida’s First Coast, and JAX Chamber. He also served on the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Commission on Progress, works with LiftJax to eradicate poverty in Jacksonville's Eastside, and is passionate about mentoring youth.

Resume Submission

Resumes for transition committees should include a cover letter indicating the committee you are interested in serving on and should be sent to transitionteam2023@coj.net.

Resumes for administration staff should include a cover letter indicating the position you are interested in applying for and should be sent to transitionresume2023@coj.net.

Resumes for city board appointments should include a cover letter indicating the board you are interested in applying for and should be sent to boards-commissions23@coj.net.

View the full Boards and Commissions list.

Resumes and cover letters can also be mailed to:

Office of Mayor Donna Deegan
117 W. Duval Street, Suite 400
Jacksonville, Florida 32202

Contact Information

Mailing Address

Mayor's Office
City Hall at St. James Building
117 W. Duval St., Suite 400
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Phone

(904) 255-5000

Email

MayorDonnaDeegan@coj.net

Transition-related inquiries should be emailed to transitionteam2023@coj.net.


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