A.G. Gancarski
In April, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry appointed Dawn Lockhart to be the new director of strategic partnerships, saying Lockhart “brings a wealth of experience, leadership and a robust professional network to this role,” which would help on “building and strengthening the City of Jacksonville’s partnerships with our local nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.”
More details about the position are being codified via a memorandum of understanding, which is currently still in draft version and pending city council approval.
The goal of this $130,000 a year position: to create a member of the senior staff who would report to the chief of staff and coordinate efforts between the mayor’s office and the nonprofit sector.
The position, authorized for three years and five months, has the city providing benefits and office space. Meanwhile, $295,000 in private donations have been secured to offset the salary for the director position.
Private donations will pay the entire salary in its first year, eventually sliding to a 50-50 split by fiscal year 2017-18.
There will be a grant contract, subject to annual renewal, giving the mayor’s office latitude to de-authorize the position should it need to.
Additionally, the memorandum lays out guidelines for a steering committee, which is designed to assist the director of strategic partnerships in her tasks. The steering committee also ensures a smooth transition during changes in the executive branch, should the initiative last that long.
This position came out of Curry’s transition committees last year, described then as a director/liaison for nonprofits. Recommended by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, this was called a “dynamic” and “forward-thinking” approach. Jacksonville would, if this happened, be the first city in the Southeast with such a position, it was said at the time.
Rena Coughlin, a co-chair of the transition team and CEO of the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida, told JaxDailyRecord.com last October that partnerships between the city and the nonprofit sector had “never been well-connected before.”
“I would hope this person, through communicating the value of the work that’s being done here in Jacksonville, would attract new funding to the community,” Coughlin added, in comments to the same outlet.
