by Bailey White
Staff Writer
North Florida residents have a fresh face to turn to when seeking the attention of Gov. Jeb Bush.
G. Donovan Brown is the new special assistant to Bush, helping him stay abreast of issues facing the 36 counties from Escambia to Duval and Nassau to Flagler and Putnam. (Three other assistants cover the Tampa, Orlando and Miami areas.) Naturally, with so much territory, Brown spends a lot of time traveling.
“I’m on the road two, three days a week,” said Brown, who has held the position since August.
Brown serves as a liaison between the governor and his North Florida constituents. All requests for appearances by Bush come through the External Affairs Office, where Brown spends his time when he’s not on the road. Brown may represent the governor at public events, or he may attend a large event with him.
“I’m kind of like a bridge between the people and the governor. I try to get people on the right path and facilitate the relationship,” said Brown.
Though he has only just started his position with the Office of External Affairs, Brown has been at the governor’s office for over a year. He began work at the capital in the Office of Drug Policy, working as deputy chief in counter drug law enforcement.
“We were trying to facilitate communication between local, state and even federal levels and putting together counter-drug operations,” said Brown. “I worked under Col. Jim McDonough, the strategic planner for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.”
Now, Brown is focusing on getting to know the counties in his domain and the people who live in them.
“I really liked drug policy,” said Brown, “but I wanted to expand. Now I touch on everything. I get to spend a lot more time with people.”
In his first few weeks, Brown has been on a quest to introduce himself to the people in his 36 counties, bringing him to Jacksonville last week.
“I’m trying to extend myself and make connections. I’m letting people know that I’m here,” he said.
One of Brown’s goals is accessibility.
“It works both ways. They expect me to let them know what is going on at our level, and I can find out from them the things happening at the local level,” said Brown of officials in Jacksonville and other cities in his focus area.
The University of Florida graduate, who lived in Gainesville for 10 years, saw the special assistant position as a way to give back to a community he has grown to love.
“Being from Gainesville, I understand a lot of rural issues. But my area’s issues can vary. Military affairs and economic development are also very important. I have been focusing a lot on Jacksonville and Pensacola, my two largest cities,” said Brown. Last week’s trip included a meet-and-greet session with Mayor John Delaney.
“I think Jacksonville is a fantastic city. I can see it being a great place to settle down,” said Brown, adding his job is also providing him with an education of Florida.
“I don’t think there could be anything better than this. I’m learning all the nuts and bolts and hoping to come away with a better, broader knowledge of Florida.”
Most impressive for Brown is the governor’s initiative to reform education.
“I’ve seen his policies work in schools that have adopted them,” said Brown. “He truly believes it when he says we’ll leave no child behind.”
Brown has always been dedicated to children’s issues. He spent four years participating as a child advocate in the Guardian Ad Litem program, which seeks to represent the best interest of abused or neglected children who may be overlooked in legal issues. He is pleased that the governor allows his staff to take an hour off from work each week to mentor a child.
“Even the busiest man in Florida [Bush] takes an hour to mentor a middle school child,” said Brown.”
While he is enjoying his work, Brown isn’t sure where his life may take him in the future.
“I’ve always thought about graduate school; I might return for law school or to get an MBA. I started this thinking I might spend a semester or a year at the governor’s office. But now I love it.”
Will that lead to a future in politics?
“It’s possible,” said Brown. “Working with people has been extremely rewarding. I am learning so much. I would love to be able to continue to give back.”