Committee to vote on three appointments to DIA board

An appointment to the JaxPort board is also advancing.


Jacksonville City Hall at 117 W. Duval St. Downtown.
Jacksonville City Hall at 117 W. Duval St. Downtown.
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The City Council Rules Committee is scheduled to vote on three appointees to the city Downtown Investment Authority Board on Nov. 20.

If approved, the appointments will go to City Council for a vote Nov. 28.

The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Nov. 20 at City Hall, 117 W. Duval St.

Downtown Investment Authority board

The DIA is governed by nine board members. Of the nine, five are appointed by the Jacksonville mayor and four by the City Council president. All are confirmed by Council. Terms are four years. 

• City Council President Ron Salem filed a resolution Oct. 24 asking Council members to confirm the appointment of attorney Patrick W. Krechowski.

Krechowski would replace former board member James Citrano Jr. for the term ending June 30, 2027.

Krechowski is a partner at Balch & Bingham specializing in real estate, land use, environmental, governmental, administrative litigation, appeals and title insurance law. He serves on the Urban Land Institute advisory board and the Visit Jacksonville board of directors.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University. 

Mayor Donna Deegan is asking Council to confirm the appointments of Sondra Fetner and Micah Heavener

The confirmation of a fourth DIA appointee, Tamara G. Baker, will likely go to the Rules Committee in December. 

Fetner, an attorney, would replace David Ward for a partial term ending June 30, 2027.

Fetner is the director of placemaking at the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. She worked previously as a consultant for Urban Vision Consulting and as an attorney with the Office of General Counsel. She serves on the Cultural Service Grant Program Committee, the Downtown Vision Inc. board, the Riverside Avondale Preservation board and is a member of the Urban Land Institute.

She has a bachelor’s degree and a J.D. from the University of Florida, and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Southern California.

Heavener, a business executive, would replace Joshua Garrison for a first partial term ending June 30, 2026.

Heavener is COO of Universal Ledger Holdings Inc. He previously worked as the head of operations for SoFi Technology. An Army veteran, he has a bachelor’s degree from The Citadel and a master’s of business administration from the University of Florida.

Baker, a structural engineer, would replace George R. Saoud for a first full term ending June 30, 2026.

Baker is a licensed structural engineer, general contractor and threshold inspector with 25 years experience in the engineering and construction industry.

Jacksonville Port Authority

The mayor is asking the Council to confirm the appointment of Thomas Slater to the seven-member Jacksonville Port Authority board. 

The final vote on the appointment is planned Nov. 28.

Slater would replace Jamie Shelton for a partial term ending Sept. 30, 2027.

Slater is a partner at the Pajcic & Pajcic law firm and serves on the Pace Center for Girls board of directors.

He is a member in good standing with the Florida, Georgia and Virginia Bars and is a board-certified civil trial lawyer. He has a J.D from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. 

The city and state split the appointment power of JaxPort board members. The Jacksonville mayor appoints four members and the governor appoints three.

Board members serve four-year terms and can be reappointed to one additional term.

JaxPort is Florida’s largest container port by volume and one of the nation’s busiest vehicle-handling ports.

This story has been updated. 



 

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