John Hawley
Sep 19, 2026
The Influence Network- Part II: Who Shapes Jacksonville — and How?
In Part I of The Influence Network, we examined how the Jacksonville Civic Council helped establish the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index as one benchmark for Jacksonville's ambition to become a world-class city.
Now comes the more fundamental question:
Who exactly is the Jacksonville Civic Council?
The organization describes itself as a group of more than 90 engaged CEOs that seeks to drive change by researching Jacksonville's challenges, advocating public policy and helping execute solutions. Its stated vision is making Jacksonville a “world-class destination of choice” for families, individuals, graduates and businesses.
Understanding who participates matters because the Civic Council doesn't merely publish reports.
It explicitly describes research, advocacy and execution as its three principal workstreams. Its advocacy program includes government relations, public-policy engagement and strategic communications.
The Jacksonville Civic Council Is Not a Government Body
Start with an important distinction.
Civic Council members aren't elected by Jacksonville voters, and the organization has no governmental authority to levy taxes, pass ordinances or appropriate public money.
It is instead a private civic organization built around business and institutional leadership.
The organization describes collaboration and leadership as core values and says it engages policymakers and stakeholders at the local, state and federal levels to pursue policy change.
That makes the Civic Council useful to examine not as another branch of government, but as part of the network surrounding government.
Its Membership Reads Like a Map of Jacksonville's Institutional Economy
Look through the membership and a pattern quickly becomes apparent.
The roster includes leaders associated with banking, healthcare, real estate development, construction, engineering, law, higher education, professional sports, transportation, philanthropy and some of Northeast Florida's largest employers.
That composition is important because many of the policy areas the Civic Council wants to influence involve those same sectors.
Its current priorities include economic mobility, small-business growth, homeownership, education and workforce development, Downtown and stadium-area redevelopment, universities, parks and walkable communities.
In other words, many Civic Council members lead organizations operating within the same Jacksonville economy that its policy agenda seeks to reshape.
Some Names Are Already Familiar Across Jacksonville
The membership includes former Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton.
It includes JAX Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis, who was the Republican nominee for Jacksonville mayor in 2023.
It includes executives and civic leaders such as Gary Chartrand, John D. Baker II, J.F. Bryan, Marty Fiorentino, Abel Harding, Mari Kuraishi, Mark Lamping, David Miller, Bryan Moll, Donna Orender, Alex Sifakis, Bobby Stein, Kent Thielen, Michael Ward and Mike Zaffaroni, among many others.
The importance isn't simply name recognition.
It's how frequently some of those names appear elsewhere in Jacksonville's civic infrastructure.
The JAX Chamber and Civic Council Networks Overlap
One of the clearest examples is the JAX Chamber.
Our comparison of the Civic Council membership with the Chamber's current leadership identifies numerous people appearing within both networks.
Among them are Andy Allen, John Avendano, Mark Bennett, Tim Cost, G. Ray Driver Jr., Kurt Dudas, Patrick Green, Abel Harding, Tony Jenkins, Paul Jones, Scott Kashman, Andy Kaufmann, Mari Kuraishi, Will Landreth, Richard Lovelace, Matthew Marcin, Tyler Mathews, Tina Meskel, Bryan Moll, Donna Orender, Linda Sherrer, Alex Sifakis, Lee Smith, Kent Thielen, Mike Zaffaroni and Matthew Zuino.
The Chamber overlap extends beyond ordinary board membership.
Some Hold Key Positions Inside the Chamber Network
Abel Harding is the Chamber's 2026 chair-elect.
Paul Jones chairs JAXUSA Partnership, while Chris Kalin is JAXUSA chair-elect.
Mike Zaffaroni serves as the Chamber's Government Affairs chair.
And Daniel Davis is president and CEO of the JAX Chamber itself.
That doesn't make the Chamber and Civic Council the same organization.
It does demonstrate substantial crossover between two organizations seeking to influence Jacksonville's economic and civic direction.
JAXUSA Extends the Network Into Economic Development
JAXUSA Partnership adds another layer.
It operates within the JAX Chamber structure and focuses on regional economic development, while the Chamber maintains its own advocacy and public-affairs operation.
Civic Council members holding leadership positions across those organizations therefore can participate in multiple parts of Jacksonville's civic-development ecosystem.
One organization may research and advocate policy.
Another markets the region and recruits economic activity.
Government ultimately possesses the authority to approve many of the public policies, appropriations and incentives involved. The overlap is therefore worth documenting even when no conflict exists.
Development Is Another Major Connection
Several Civic Council members are associated with Jacksonville real estate and development.
Bryan Moll is CEO of Gateway Jax and also sits on the JAX Chamber board.
Alex Sifakis, president of JWB Real Estate Capital, likewise appears in both the Civic Council and Chamber networks.
Other members represent construction, engineering, architecture, banking and law—the professional infrastructure surrounding large development projects. That becomes particularly relevant Downtown.
The Civic Council Says It Participated in Creating the DIA
The Civic Council itself lists participation in the 2014 formation of the Downtown Investment Authority among its major policy accomplishments.
The organization also lists pension reform, education reform, opposition to JEA privatization, support for the local-option gas tax, advocacy for the Duval County school facilities tax and recommendations concerning Jacksonville's human-rights ordinance among its policy activities.
That history provides important context.
The Civic Council isn't simply an organization whose members happen to operate businesses in Jacksonville.
By its own account, it has deliberately participated in reshaping Jacksonville public policy and institutions.
Government Experience Exists Inside the Membership Too
Some members have crossed between private civic leadership and government service.
Former Mayor John Peyton is perhaps the most obvious example.
Others have served on City boards, commissions, independent authorities, mayoral transition teams or other public bodies.
That creates institutional knowledge about how Jacksonville government actually works.
It also illustrates why looking at membership solely through the lens of each person's current employer misses much of the story.
A more complete map asks where members have served before—and what other boards and organizations they serve on now.
Government Relations Is Part of the Network
Professional government relations provides another connection.
Civic Council board member Marty Fiorentino has spent years working in government affairs and lobbying.
Other members have also appeared in Jacksonville lobbying records or work in industries that routinely interact with government.
That observation doesn't imply improper activity. Lobbying and government relations are established and regulated methods of participating in policymaking.
More importantly, the Civic Council itself says government relations is one of the tools it uses in its advocacy work.
Political Participation Crosses Party Lines
Campaign finance creates another layer of connections. Individual Civic Council members have contributed to candidates, political committees and civic campaigns over many election cycles. Those activities shouldn't be treated as if the Civic Council itself made the contribution unless records show that it did. And the pattern isn't neatly partisan.
The organization describes itself as nonpartisan, while individual members have supported politicians and causes across Jacksonville's political landscape. For The Influence Network, the more useful question isn't whether the organization is Republican or Democratic. It is whether its members maintain relationships and institutional access across changing administrations and political coalitions.
The Recent Oxford Event Offered a Visible Example
That cross-partisan reach was visible during Jacksonville's recent Oxford Economics announcement.
A Democratic mayor, Republican City Council leadership, Chamber leadership and Civic Council leadership could participate around a shared long-term framework for Jacksonville's development.
That doesn't mean those individuals agree on every tax, development incentive, budget decision or policy required to pursue it.
It does show how a civic objective can operate across partisan boundaries.
The Network Also Extends Into Healthcare and Education
Civic Council membership includes leadership associated with some of Jacksonville's largest healthcare and educational institutions.
The Chamber overlap alone includes Patrick Green of UF Health Jacksonville, Scott Kashman of Ascension St. Vincent's, Kent Thielen of Mayo Clinic in Florida, Matthew Zuino of Baptist Health, John Avendano of Florida State College at Jacksonville and Tim Cost of Jacksonville University.
That matters because education, workforce development and health are explicitly included in the Civic Council's agenda.
These aren't peripheral subjects for the organization.
They're among the metrics through which it proposes measuring Jacksonville's progress.
Philanthropy Is Represented Too
Mari Kuraishi, president of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, serves within the Civic Council network and also sits on the JAX Chamber board.
That is another example of why Jacksonville's influence structure can't be understood simply as “business versus government.”
Modern civic initiatives can involve government, corporations, foundations, universities and nonprofit organizations simultaneously.
The Civic Council explicitly embraces that kind of collaboration.
Research Adds an Academic Network
The Civic Council has also assembled a Jacksonville Research Network.
It describes the initiative as bringing together academics and researchers to develop and review research concerning issues that will shape Jacksonville's future.
Current participants listed by the organization include researchers such as Rachael Wyant, Mary Borg, Connor Oswald, Anna Lebesch, Parvez Ahmed, Josh Gellers, Audrieanna Burgin, Rick Mullaney, Allison Ownby and Sarah Boren.
That gives the organization another source of institutional reach: academic research and expertise.
The Civic Council Doesn't Stop at Research
This is where the organization's structure becomes particularly interesting.
Its model begins with research and proceeds to advocacy.
Then comes execution.
The Civic Council says its execution work is designed to align partners, secure resources, establish success metrics and put research-backed initiatives into action.
Its EpicJax model uses focused 90-day “Sprints” to address civic problems.
That means the organization isn't merely trying to influence what Jacksonville discusses.
It wants to participate in turning selected ideas into action.
Why the Membership Matters
Imagine Jacksonville's civic structure as a series of circles.
One circle contains major employers.
Another contains developers and construction companies.
Another contains banks and financial institutions.
Another contains hospitals and universities.
Another contains philanthropy and nonprofits.
Then there are the JAX Chamber, JAXUSA, public authorities, City boards, lobbying firms, political committees and Jacksonville government itself.
The Civic Council brings people from many of those circles into one organization.
That doesn't establish that the organization controls those institutions.
But it helps explain why its voice can carry significant institutional weight.
The Connections Matter More Than Any Single Name
This is also why simply publishing a roster isn't enough.
A name by itself tells readers relatively little.
A name connected to a company, Chamber position, City appointment, public authority, development project, lobbying registration, campaign contribution or nonprofit board begins to reveal the larger structure.
And when multiple members share multiple institutional connections, a network begins to emerge.
That is what The Influence Network is designed to document.
Jacksonville Civic Council Members: A Public Reference Directory
The following is the framework we will use for the evolving directory accompanying this investigation.
Rather than characterize individuals based merely on membership, The 101 Report will document verifiable institutional connections: primary business or organization, Civic Council leadership, JAX Chamber or JAXUSA roles, government appointments, lobbying records, development relationships, political committees and significant nonprofit or public-private boards.
The Civic Council's current roster includes leaders such as:
Gary Chartrand — Former chairman and CEO, Acosta; Civic Council leadership.
John D. Baker II — Jacksonville business and civic leader; Civic Council board member; former JEA board member.
J.F. Bryan — Civic Council board and Research Committee member.
Tim Cost — President, Jacksonville University; also serves on the JAX Chamber board.
Daniel Davis — President and CEO, JAX Chamber; former state legislator and Jacksonville City Council member; 2023 Republican mayoral nominee.
Marty Fiorentino — Civic Council board member; government-relations professional.
Patrick Green — President, UF Health Jacksonville; JAX Chamber board member.
Abel Harding — Pinnacle Financial Partners; Civic Council member; JAX Chamber 2026 chair-elect.
Tony Jenkins — Florida Blue Northeast Florida market president; JAX Chamber board member.
Mari Kuraishi — President, Jessie Ball duPont Fund; Civic Council leadership; JAX Chamber board member.
Mark Lamping — Jacksonville Jaguars president; Civic Council member.
David Miller — Jacksonville business and civic leader; Civic Council board member.
Bryan Moll — CEO, Gateway Jax; Civic Council member; JAX Chamber board member.
Michael Munz — Jacksonville civic and communications executive; Civic Council member.
Donna Orender — CEO/co-founder of The UPSHOT League and founder of Generation W; Civic Council member; JAX Chamber board member.
John Peyton — Former mayor of Jacksonville; Civic Council member.
Alex Sifakis — President, JWB Real Estate Capital; Civic Council member; JAX Chamber board member.
Robert “Bobby” Stein — Jacksonville business and civic leader; Civic Council member; former JEA board member.
Dr. Kent Thielen — CEO, Mayo Clinic in Florida; Civic Council member; JAX Chamber board member.
Michael Ward — Jacksonville business executive; Civic Council leadership.
Mike Zaffaroni — Owner, Liberty Landscape Supply; Civic Council member; JAX Chamber Government Affairs chair.
Those examples represent only part of the membership. The directory should be expanded and updated as affiliations are independently verified.
Why We Aren't Calling Every Connection a Conflict
This distinction is important. Serving on two or more boards isn't evidence of wrongdoing. Making a legal campaign contribution isn't evidence of wrongdoing. Receiving an economic-development incentive doesn't by itself demonstrate political favoritism. And membership in the Jacksonville Civic Council doesn't establish that a member agrees with every policy position the organization takes. The purpose of mapping these relationships is therefore not to turn ordinary civic participation into an accusation.
It is to make the institutional structure visible.
Because Influence Can Be Perfectly Legal—and Still Worth Understanding
Jacksonville government makes decisions involving billions of dollars in budgets, infrastructure and long-term public commitments. Private businesses make investments that can transform neighborhoods and create jobs. Universities, hospitals and nonprofits provide services government frequently can't provide alone.
Business organizations advocate policies they believe will improve the regional economy. Those relationships are normal features of American cities. Transparency helps residents understand how they intersect.
From a Membership List to an Influence Map
That is where this investigation goes next. The Civic Council provides the names. Public records provide another layer. Corporate records identify businesses. City records identify appointments. DIA and OED records identify development incentives. Lobbying records identify registered representation.
Campaign-finance records identify political contributions and committees. Chamber and nonprofit records identify overlapping boards. Put those datasets together and something considerably more useful than a membership directory emerges.
A map of Jacksonville's civic influence network.
THE INFLUENCE NETWORK Continues
Part I asked how the Jacksonville Civic Council helped move an outside measurement—the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index—into Jacksonville's civic conversation. Part II identifies the people and institutions comprising the organization itself. The next stage should follow those connections outward.
Who sits on which boards?
Which companies interact financially with City government?
Which members participate in development projects or economic incentives?
Who appears in lobbying records, political committees and campaign-finance reports?
And where do the same names repeatedly intersect?
Those questions don't begin with an assumption of wrongdoing.
They begin with something simpler:
If Jacksonville's future is increasingly being shaped through partnerships among government, business, philanthropy and nonprofits, residents should be able to see who sits at those intersections.
THE INFLUENCE NETWORK — Who Shapes Jacksonville, and How?
The 101 Report — Facts. Context. Beyond the Headline.
We Welcome Your Thoughts.
The Influence Network- Part V: Who Shapes Jacksonville and How?
The Influence Network- Part IV: Who has a stake in the property tax debate?
The Influence Network- Part III: How board overlap can concentrate civic power
Who Makes Up the Jacksonville Civic Council? Inside the Network of CEOs and Civic Leaders
