Jacksonville Bold for 8.2.23: The great communicator

Jacksonville, Florida, USA downtown city skyline at dusk.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan may have found a way to navigate the political difficulties posed by a GOP City Council supermajority.

Starting Thursday, the Democratic chief executive will hold “community conversations” in all 14 districts. Over the next couple of months, Deegan will meet with voters where they are to talk about issues that concern them.

Thursday’s conversation will be in the Mandarin area familiar to former Mayor Tommy Hazouri, at the library on Hartley Road. The event, in the heart of District 6, is notable given Democrats didn’t run opposition this year against incumbent Michael Boylan. That (and all the other events) will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

Deegan has two more meetings of this type in the next week.

Monday, the Mayor will visit the Beaches Branch Library in Neptune Beach in District 13, where Democrats didn’t bother (notice a trend?) to field opposition to Rory Diamond in the 2023 Elections.

Wednesday, she will appear in District 7, the home of Democrat Jimmy Peluso. That event will be at the Riverside Presbyterian Church.

This is the right play for Deegan, who won by just a few percentage points in an election that surprised many outside observers. Hopefully, she will resist the urge toward increased insularity and caution that have typified other Mayors as they settled into City Hall and make these show-ups a regular feature of her administration.

It’s brilliant given the realities of City Council public comment in recent years, where successive leaders of the legislative body have found ways to stifle or shut down public participation by limiting speaking time to shifting the schedule around to minimize input. We expect the Mayor to listen as much as she talks at these events.

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Starting on August 3rd, @MayorDeegan will be hosting community conversations in all fourteen (14) City Council Districts to give every voice in Jacksonville a chance to be heard. To see a list of when and where each event will be please visit the link in our bio! pic.twitter.com/V9uXt7BOk7

— Jacksonville Young Dems (@JaxYoungDems) August 1, 2023

— School ties —

Not to be outdone, Council President Ron Salem is getting off on the right foot with a joint meeting between City Council and the Duval County School Board on Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.

For those interested in catching the show, it will be in City Council Chambers at the St. James Building.

Dr. Dana Kriznar, interim Superintendent of Schools, will offer remarks on the State of Our Schools, with Q&A afterward.

Additionally, the Master Facilities Plan will be a topic of discussion, followed by Career and Workforce Development Programs.

The main event, however, will be Board Chair Kelly Coker offering remarks on the search for a permanent school Superintendent as the district attempts to find a permanent leader after separating from Dr. Diana Greene earlier this year.

After the official meeting, lunch will be provided in the Bob Johnson Room, per the agenda. We are assuming the lunch invite is for participants, not observers, but for those with an appetite, it can’t hurt to see if city leaders will give you a plate.

— Leeann lands —

The former chief of staff for Mayor Lenny Curry has made her next professional move.

Leeann Krieg is joining GrayRobinson’s Government Affairs and Lobbying Section as a senior government affairs adviser to help develop the firm’s local government and state lobbying portfolio in and around Northeast Florida.

“Leeann’s extensive experience in Florida government and politics combined with an unwavering dedication to her hometown of Jacksonville makes her an exciting addition to GrayRobinson,” said GrayRobinson Government Affairs and Lobbying Section Chair and Tallahassee Managing Shareholder Jason Unger. “Her deep ties to the Jacksonville City Council will be a great asset as we expand our reach and strengthen client connections in and around Northeast Florida.”

Indeed, before Krieg went to the executive branch under Curry, she was executive council assistant to former City Council President Greg Anderson. At the same time, much of the Council has turned over since few hires could navigate the sometimes-Byzantine realm of Jacksonville’s legislative branch.

“I am thrilled to join GrayRobinson and have the opportunity to continue doing impactful work in the Northeast Florida region,” said Krieg. “My strong appreciation and unique understanding of this community fuel my desire to get the best possible results for clients, and I am eager to hit the ground running with the GrayRobinson Government Affairs and Lobbying Team.”

— Ballard bounced —

In one of the first major moves of the Deegan administration, the City of Jacksonville terminated its contract with Ballard Partners effective Monday, July 31.

Federal and state “Consultant Contracts” between Ballard Partners and the City of Jacksonville were ended “for convenience,” according to emails from Dr. Charles Moreland to Brian Ballard and Jordan Elsbury of the firm’s Jacksonville office.

Deegan administration spokesperson Phil Perry tells Florida Politics the administration is “still looking to fill” the federal and state lobbying slot Ballard previously occupied.

Ballard offered its statement via Justin Sayfie.

“Ballard Partners has been honored to represent the City of Jacksonville and is proud to have assisted the City to secure more than $14 million in appropriations and a change in Florida law that allowed the city to avoid massive budget cuts that would have been needed to cover the city’s $2.6 billion unfunded pension liability. We are grateful for the opportunity to be helpful and wish the city’s administration great success in its service to the people of Jacksonville.”

The news surprised people inside the Jacksonville office of Ballard Partners, with the understanding being that the state contract was in place through January 2024 and the federal one through April 2024. However, the city had the right to early termination, which they exercised.

Deegan met with someone from Ballard on Monday, adding another surprise to the decision as it was announced later in the day via email. Preceding the announcement were weeks of meetings between Ballard and city staffers, adding to Ballard’s surprise when they learned about their termination.

As a candidate, Deegan said her administration would prioritize chasing federal grant money, and to that end, Ballard had open lines of communication with Reps. Aaron Bean and John Rutherford. Perry noted “getting more federal grants” was one reason they cut ties with Ballard.

The firm had staffed up in Jacksonville in recent weeks, adding former Mayor Lenny Curry and Jenny Busby, a former aide to Rep. Al Lawson and City Council member Tommy Hazouri, a cousin of Deegan’s who was Mayor himself back in the late 20th century, to join Jordan Elsbury (Curry’s former chief of staff) in the Jacksonville office.

Ballard’s Elsbury raised more than $70,000 for the Deegan inauguration, but in what now seems like foreshadowing, he was discouraged from attending the event.

Meanwhile, some in the Ballard orbit attribute the move to cut ties with the firm to Chief Administrative Officer Karen Bowling; Perry denies that, framing the action as a “collective team decision.”

— Rood awakening —

Guess who’s back?

Amb. John Rood. The Governor’s Office announced the preeminent member of the Jacksonville donor class has been given another term on the Florida Prepaid College Board.

Rood, the Chair of The Vestcor Companies and the former U.S. Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas has been on numerous boards, including the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Jacksonville Port Authority.

The Governor benefited from Rood’s support in both of his statewide campaigns and support has gone both ways; the Ambassador’s Jacksonville Classical Academy was the scene of one major local news conference, a rollout of the proposed education budget back in 2021.

JCA is affiliated with Hillsdale College, which the Governor has extolled as a model for revamping the New College of Florida, the state’s (former?) honors college being remade into a conservative sinecure.

— Holt on —

A former Jacksonville City Council member has new political life on a state board, though it deals with the Gainesville area.

Ray Holt, a Republican who served from 2007 to 2015, is a new appointee to the Early Learning Coalition of Alachua County.

He now owns C Bar Luxury Wedding and Events on SR 121 in Gainesville. That venue for “luxury barn weddings and events” has been selected as a Couple’s Choice award-winning venue for multiple years.

The “rustic, yet elegant, air-conditioned barn features a combination of amenities you won’t find elsewhere, including a separate groom’s suite and bride’s suite, with plenty of room to get ready in style and comfort with your besties beside you, keeping you tucked away until the moment you’re ready to be seen,” proclaims the company’s webpage.

—Tough choice —

The Deegan administration may pick a former Jacksonville City Council member as its next General Counsel.

As Ben Becker reports, both Republican Randy DeFoor and Democrat Brenda Priestly Jackson are in the mix in the latest signal that business may be conducted very differently under the new Democratic Mayor.

DeFoor and Priestly Jackson each served one term on City Council. DeFoor ran as a Lenny Curry ally but broke with the Mayor’s Office and political team soon after her narrow victory in 2019 to become one of the most outspoken critics of the Curry administration in recent years. Her district was a casualty of redistricting, but she would have faced challenges in a re-election bid, nonetheless.

Priestly Jackson may be best known citywide for her opposition to the redistricting plan ultimately approved by a judge and imposed on the City Council. She opted out of re-election rather than face a battle against Ju’Coby Pittman, who represents the remapped District 10.

Other names are in the mix, including current (interim) GC Jason Teal and Lawsikia Hodges. But either of the two former Council members would signal to outside observers that this administration is interested in remapping the OGC in a way that may not have happened had Daniel Davis been elected in May.

— End of an era —

There’s a changing of the guard at the St. Johns County Education Foundation, also known as Investing in Kids (INK!).

The foundation, which boosts academic achievement through teacher support and classroom resources, announced that current Executive Director Donna Lueders will retire at the end of the month.

Lueders has led INK! since 2006, helping raise millions of dollars for the nonprofit while building and strengthening relationships with donors, partners, sponsors and supporters. Her efforts have allowed INK! to step in and fund impactful programs despite gaps in public funding.

“My retirement is bittersweet. The growth and success of the organization, and the innumerous friends and business associates that I’ve met and worked with, is a completely rewarding way to retire and ease into my next adventure,” Lueders said. “I believe in the power of giving to others and the role fundraising plays in our culture. The best way to do this is by providing a voice for those who feel voiceless and want to be heard.”

She added that she looks forward to enjoying her retirement by spending more time with family, camping and enjoying music.

Leuders will remain at INK! in an advisory role through early 2024 as her successor, Cathy Newman, steps into the leadership role.

Newman has served as INK!’s Community and District Relations Achievement Director since 2021. When she ascends to Executive Director on Sept. 1, she will oversee INK!’s community initiatives and staff activities, fundraising, innovative educational programs, classroom resources and teacher support for St. Johns County public schools. She will maintain and build relationships with stakeholders and contributors.

“I am honored and humbled to be recognized by Donna, our board of directors, and advisers to manage the meaningful and extraordinary work that INK! does and that has been supported by a team of caring and dedicated professionals,” Newman said.

“Over the last 17 years, Donna has grown INK!’s impact tremendously throughout St. Johns County and the St. Johns County School District. I am excited to continue the work Donna started and look forward to working closely with our board of directors, INK! staff, school district administrators, donors, supporters, and educators to help our students achieve success.”

— Nuclear option —

It’s a nuclear week for JEA customers. Plant Vogtle Unit 3 is online and is funneling current from Georgia to JEA’s grid. And rates are going up as a result, but with the benefit of cleaner energy.

Spokesperson Karen McAlister tells Jacksonville Bold that the “recent rate change — that took effect April 1, 2023 — was to help fund and pay for Plant Vogtle. We will have some future incremental rate increases in the next couple of years, in large part to address the cost of Plant Vogtle as it provides us clean energy for years to come.”

Meanwhile, the rate hikes and inclusion of nuclear power will be for everyone, as the “emissions-free power from Plant Vogtle syncs with JEA’s grid; customers do not need to opt in to receive it.

The utility says, “Units 3 and 4 are the first new nuclear reactors built in the United States in more than 40 years” and that JEA continues to make progress toward our 2030 clean energy goals” with “a diversified portfolio, helping to assure both reliability, resiliency and a new source of zero-emissions electricity.”

“It’s a good milestone and a reason for us to be more hopeful about our future,” said JEA CEO Jay Stowe.

The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG Power), which owns Vogtle, expects Unit 4 to come online next year. Units 3 and 4 were expected to go online seven years ago.

COO Raynetta Curry Marshall noted that despite those “stumbling blocks,” that “hope stems from the fact that JEA customers are receiving carbon-free electricity.”

— Skate park start —

Skateboarding is a decadeslong tradition in Jacksonville, and those in Riverside will enjoy a new public space.

The city describes the $8.8 million Artist Walk underneath the Fuller Warren Bridge as a “skatable piece of art.” It will be three blocks long and have three skate spaces tailored to rider skill levels. Additionally, the space will include a synthetic-turf plaza for performances.

“We’re pleased to see work underway on this unique and exciting new project,” said Daryl Joseph, director of Parks, Recreation and Social Services for the City of Jacksonville. “Along with new destination parks coming soon in Riverfront Plaza, Shipyards West and a redesigned St. Johns River Park, Artist Walk will be one of several new Downtown attractions for the entire community to enjoy.”

“These new parks, along with several other infrastructure projects, are a key element of the Downtown Master Plan to further activate and energize Downtown,” said Lori Boyer, CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority. “They’ll enhance the Downtown experience for residents and workers, improve property values and strengthen Downtown as an attraction for residents and out-of-town visitors.”

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pic.twitter.com/DgncwQJMJo

— Ron Salem (@Ron_Salem) August 1, 2023

— Eason to UNF —

The University of North Florida has a new Strategy and Innovation vice president.

Dr. Paul Eason, Ph.D., P.E., will fulfill President Moez Limayem’s Strategic Plan, focusing on performance-based metrics such as increasing the school’s U.S. News & World Report ranking.

“Paul is a strategic thinker widely respected at UNF and throughout Northeast Florida,” said Limayem. “He cares deeply about our students, the University and our community, and I know UNF will benefit immensely from his leadership in this new role.”

Eason has been with UNF for nearly two decades, starting as an adjunct professor in the School of Engineering back in 2005.

Per UNF, he was “instrumental in crafting the Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Innovation legislative budget request in 2016, which continues to fund faculty lines in the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Bachelor of Science program and the operation of the Materials Science and Engineering Research Facility (MSERF).”

— Lofty expectations —

Six years ago, then-Jaguars’ safety Barry Church stood before reporters and said he thought the Jaguars’ defense had more talent than his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. At the time, some dismissed the comments as training camp sunshine talk.

As it turned out, that 2017 defense became the Jacksonville defense that helped the Jaguars make the playoffs.

This week, another big training camp statement came from wide receiver Christian Kirk, who said on Monday he thought the Jaguars could lead the NFL in scoring.

“I think that’s the goal. We step on this field to be the best offense in the league and that’s our mindset. I think it starts with our red zone attack, being more efficient in the red zone and making the most of our opportunities. I know that’s a big emphasis for us is being better in the red zone and putting the ball in the end zone. When we get down there and we have our days during camp where we’re competing in the red zone, guys are extra locked in because we need to do that at a higher level this year.”

The numbers back up Kirk’s comments. Last season, the Jaguars ranked 17th out of 32 teams in red zone offense, scoring a touchdown 55.38% of the time they reached the opponents’ 20-yard line. That must be better.

When evaluating young quarterbacks’ development, three metrics typically tell the story: third-down efficiency, performance in the fourth quarter of close games and red zone efficiency. With the addition of wide receiver Calvin Ridley to Kirk, Zay Jones and tight end Evan Engram, Trevor Lawrence has a good selection of pass catchers to utilize.

Last season, Lawrence showed growth on third down, with a quarterback rating of 95.2 which was higher than his rating on first down (89.7).

In the fourth quarter Lawrence ranked in the middle of the pack with a quarterback rating of 86.7, just a fraction ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert, whom Lawrence outplayed in the second half of the Jaguars’ playoff win in Jacksonville.

So far, Kirk has seen a difference in Lawrence, impacting his opinion of what the Jaguars offense can accomplish.

“The light switch is on,” Kirk said. “Everything is so quick, the way he’s able to go through his reads and developing that. I think that’s a big thing; last year, maybe not being able to get to his third progression, now he’s able to get to that. He’s doing a great job leading as a vocal leader, but most importantly, his progression and how he’s able to get through each read.”