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ON YOUR SIDE | Vetting the connections, qualifications of the mayor's seven JEA board candidates

City attorneys with the Office of General Counsel tell First Coast News they work with the mayor’s office to investigate possible conflicts of interest.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Four days before Mayor Lenny Curry announced the names of the seven candidates he nominated to the JEA Board of Directors, First Coast News asked him about his process and timeline to find such candidates. 

"We’re not going to rush this. It’s important that we get the right people with the right backgrounds and the right skills as we reset," said Curry. 

He answered our questions about his search for candidates at the dedication of the Edward Waters College sports stadium, a project funded in part by $8.5 million from the city of Jacksonville. 

The President and CEO of Edward Waters College, Dr. Zachary Faison, would become one of the mayor’s candidates just days later. 

Sources tell First Coast News the mayor asked a wide range of candidates to be on the JEA Board, but due to the turbulence at the utility and the ongoing investigations, many turned him down. 

Finding seven people to serve on the board will allow the current board to continue with their resignations, which would have them leaving at the end of February. The mayor's office says they could be expected to stay on longer if needed, especially if city council rejects any of the mayor's candidates.

Dr. Faison, although new to Jacksonville after just moving to the first coast in July of 2018 when he accepted the position at the college, accepted the mayor's offer. City Charter only requires a six-month residency to be considered to the board.

Dr. Leon Haley, the CEO of UF Health Jacksonville, is another candidate selected by the mayor who oversees an entity that is also receiving money from the city. In the mayor’s most recent budget, he allotted $20 million to UF Health to go toward improvements at the hospital. 

Some city council members are expected to look into possible ties between the candidates, their employment and lobbyists with the city before casting their votes in two weeks. For example, lobbyists for UF Health also lobby for Florida Power and Light, the utility that was trying to buy JEA.

Marty Lanahan, the only female candidate, oversees Iberia Bank in the Tampa, St Petersburg area, though she maintains a residence and is registered to vote in Jacksonville. She’s a former JEA board member and board chair.

Tom VanOsdol, the senior Vice-President of Ascension Florida (St. Vincent hospitals) also has a demanding job but is well respected in the community. 

Due to their positions, city council members may inquire how often Lanahan and VanOsdol have to travel out of town for work. 

John Baker II is a known donor to Mayor Curry’s campaign. He served on the mayor's former Port Task Force when they were pursuing dredging the St Johns River. Baker is the CEO of a Holdings Investment company and the current chairman of the JaxPort Board of Directors

First Coast News has learned he will resign from the JaxPort board if he’s voted into the JEA Board.

Bobby Stein is the President of the Regency Group and one of the founders of ‘Our Jax’,  an organization created in the wake of JEA’s turmoil. As part of the Civic Council, he co-chaired a JEA subcommittee that called for an end to the JEA sale. He’s known on a national level as a private investor, including investments in various utilities.

Joseph DiSalvo is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General with experience in overseeing massive government budgets. He oversees two consulting firms outside of Washington, D.C.

City attorneys with the Office of General Counsel tell First Coast News they work with the mayor’s office and the Ethics Office to investigate possible conflicts of interest. However, just because a candidate has a previous working relationship with the mayor’s office or JEA, they may not qualify as a statute violation.

Despite skepticism and surprise over the sudden release of these seven candidates earlier this week, multiple council members expressed confidence in the individuals selected. It was how they were selected that they took issue with. 

"He still made some good appointments, so I give him that, but I just think it's a better practice to communicate," said City Councilman Matt Carlucci. 

"You know, I've looked at the list and I think they are all well-established community members so I believe they will serve us well," said City Council President Scott Wilson. 

"I think they will do a good job. They are under the microscope, everyone is watching," said City Councilman Garrett Dennis. "There is a back story where they're going to be threatened, there is going to be intimidation, all kinds of things to try to pull the rug out from under them. It's unfortunate."

First Coast News reached out to each of the candidates for a comment. Those who responded said they wanted to wait until after the city council voted to make any statements. 

As of Friday, city council members said they had not received any bios, resumes or further details about the candidates from the mayor's office. First Coast News requested the bio and resumes for each candidate on Thursday; you can find them in full below:

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