Political consultant Bruce Barcelo can be credited with helping shape the Jacksonville we’re seeing today. One of “Florida Trend Magazine’s” 174 most influential people, Barcelo has guided many of Duval County’s most prominent Republicans into office including former Congresswoman Tillie Fowler and former mayor John Delaney. He also was a major advocate of the $2.2 billion Better Jacksonville Plan in 2000, which helped pay for numerous facilities and infrastructural improvements unlike any the city had ever seen. Today he remains among the city’s most respected figures, having leveraged his political know-how with countless civic affiliations.
His reputation is internation, too,and he’s frequently tapped to be an observer in foreign elections — most recently, the Ukraine’s changing of the guard.
But for all of Barcelo’s clout, his office remains one of Jacksonville’s most unassuming workspaces. Tucked away on Olevia Street in San Marco, his Barcelo & Company consulting firm is run from inside of an old house.
“It’s meant to be comfortable,” Barcelo said of the seemingly modest surroundings. “People come here to tell us some incredible things — their goals and their fears — so we want them to feel as relaxed as possible. We have a formal conference table, but it’s seldom used. We prefer to take people into our living room, instead.”