A priority for Mayor Alvin Brown's administration was to increase the City's interaction with and appreciation of the military, and last year he chose Victor Guillory, retired commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, to lead that effort.
Guillory, 57, is a native of New Orleans, but says Jacksonville "treated my family well during my time there, so my wife and I decided to make it our home."
His initial plans after retirement included "a sports car and a ponytail," but after he met Brown and listened to plans to increase communication and support of the military in the area, he was interested in coming out of retirement.
"He was determined to raise the City's level of interaction with the military and make Jacksonville the most military and veteran-friendly city in the country," said Guillory.
While Guillory could have chosen to enjoy retirement or seek a career in the private sector, he decided to accept a job to asisst area military personnel and veterans.
Brown announced Guillory's appointment Dec. 21 and that he had elevated the position to a cabinet post.
"I'm excited to come into work every day," said Guillory.
Guillory explained his office has three objectives.
The first is military affairs. That includes advocating for expansion of the military in Northeast Florida. He also seeks ways to show the City's appreciation for the impact the military has on Jacksonville.
The second objective is veterans services. Guillory's staff assists veterans navigate the paperwork necessary for accessing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.
"Our veterans service officers go to places where at-risk and homeless veterans congregate and help them get social services, medical attention and employment," said Guillory.
His office serves about 600-800 clients a month at City
Hall, and Guillory said he is proud of the success the newly redesigned "Jobs for Veterans" website, which receives about 20,000 hits a month.
His department also includes disabled services.
"A lot of the Americans with Disabilities Act legislation was created due to a lot of disabled soldiers returning home from the Vietnam War, so combining disabled services with military affairs was a good fit," said Guillory.
Some of the responsibilities of disabled services staff is to coordinate volunteers to monitor handicapped parking to ensure that the spaces are properly used. Also, the staff reviews plans for public buildings to make sure they are ADA compliant.
Before joining Brown's administration, Guillory graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in management and technology. His early sea assignments were aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Towers, guided-missile frigate USS Lewis B. Puller, cruiser USS Vincennes and as the commissioning executive officer on the cruiser USS Gettysburg. He commanded the guided-missile frigate USS Underwood and the cruiser USS Lake Champlain.
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