A.G. Gancarski
Florida Politics has learned that Jessica Baker, governmental consultant for Ballard Partners, has left the lobbying firm’s Jacksonville office to join the Lenny Curry administration, where she will be second in command in Intergovernmental Affairs under Ali Korman Shelton.
Curry and his Chief Administrative Officer, Sam Mousa, were asked about the talk that had been circulating Tuesday morning. Answering the question whether Baker was joining the administration, Curry said, “She’s in the building.”
Baker has the Mousa seal of approval as well. The #jaxpol legend described her as smart, sharp, and a good addition to the team.
Baker’s departure leaves the Jacksonville office in the hands of two very capable insiders. Susie Wiles, whose name is synonymous with the modern era of Republican-dominated Jacksonville politics, and Tony Boselli, the Jacksonville Jaguars legend who is still a fixture at EverBank Field.
Jessica’s husband, Tim Baker, has his own connections to Curry World. His work with Data Targeting was indispensable to Curry’s path from first-time candidate with scant name recognition to Jacksonville mayor. Unheralded (by his own personal preference) during the campaign, Baker “was instrumental in doing much of the behind-the-scenes work of the Curry campaign.”
