by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Michele Querry didn’t know what to expect when she moved to Jacksonville from Washington, D.C. a few months ago.
“Florida, itself, was entirely new to me,” said Querry, Mayor John Peyton’s liaison to the City Council. “I thought it would be like Miami and that I would be going to be beach all the time, or Disney World, things like that.”
Rather, Querry has jumped into Jacksonville’s local government and is already making her mark.
Originally from the small town of Frankston, Texas, Querry is the only daughter in a family of four and maintains she’s the only one with even a slight interest in politics.
“Absolutely,” the Texas A&M grad said. “I’ve always been fascinated with the different processes of our government. The rest of my family doesn’t even watch the news.”
Querry earned a master’s degree in public administration from Webster University in St. Louis, and found herself working for U.S. Rep. Kay Granger on Capitol Hill.
While still in Washington, Querry was contacted by representatives from Matt Carlucci’s mayoral campaign and asked to assist in fund raising efforts.
“It couldn’t have been better timing,” said Querry. “ I was really ready for something different because I was getting pretty burnt out in D.C.”
Despite the desire for change and a move several thousand miles south, Querry thought her stint in Jacksonville would be, at best, temporary.
“I was packing up my car, telling all of my friends that I would be seeing them in six weeks when the election was over,” said Querry. “I never would have thought that I would be here permanently, but now I love it.”
So what changed her mind?
“It’s a really great time to be in Jacksonville,” she said. “That was the main reason I decided to stay. There is a lot of potential here and I could see it is really on the verge of breaking out. You can almost feel the energy in the air.”
After Carlucci lost in the primary, Querry went to work for the local Republican Party where she became more involved in Peyton’s campaign. After he was elected, Querry received an offer.
“I wasn’t nervous and the transition hasn’t been awkward in any way,” said Querry. “The people I’m working with here are very inclusive. They’ve all been extremely pleasant and have made me feel so welcome. They understand that I support the Republican Party.”
For the time being, Querry has been overwhelmed with meetings while becoming more familiar with the names and faces of the City Council representatives and how her job relates to them.
“It’s a multi-layered job,” she said. “I’ll hear their concerns and, hopefully, address them in a way that make them feel comfortable with the mayor’s agenda. I have to make sure everything is a clear as it can be so we can work together.”
City Council president Lad Daniels describes Querry as “bright” and “articulate.”
“I know we’re all looking forward to working with Michele in the future,” said Daniels. “She has the kind of experience that I believe will be invaluable to us on the City Council and she is certainly representative of the strong, young leadership team appointed by our new mayor.”
Two weeks down, at least four more years to go. So what’s next for Querry.
“That remains to be seen,” she said. “Right now, I’m thrilled to be a part of this administration.”