Darla Wilson is the coordinator for the Duval County legislative delegation. She has been in the position for four years and works very closely with her secretary, Susan Stewart, in the two-person office on the ground floor of City Hall.
What do you do?
“My main job is to keep the communication flowing between the local delegation members and the state, keep them apprised of what the needs of the city are and what is going on. I work very closely with the chairman of the delegation (Rep. Dick Kravitz is this year’s chair) and serve as the liaison with the general counsel, the mayor’s office and city council. It’s a really unique position because I have so many people that I work with, and I’m really lucky because I think we have the best delegation in the whole state. The delegation members, no matter how diverse they are with party affiliation or philosophies, always come together for the betterment of Jacksonville. I’m really lucky, too, that I have the support of the general counsel’s office — they’re always there for me when I need anything or to help me out. The mayor’s office, too.
What did you do prior to this job?
“I was a city council aide for Jim Overton and Dick Kravitz. Before that I worked for Congresswoman Tillie Fowler for about six months as a part-time job when I first moved down here. I also worked for Congressman Clay Shaw in West Palm Beach and for a state representative. All in all, this has been the best job.”
How long have you worked in this position?
“I started September 10, 2001.”
How often do you travel to Tallahassee?
“There is two months of session annually from March to May and I sometimes go for committee weeks. I follow local bills, notify people who are affected, and arrange delegation lunches and meetings. April 21 is going to be Jacksonville Day in Tallahassee. It’s a celebration of the best that Jacksonville has to offer. There will be entertainment and exhibits from Jacksonville, and it’s a time for us to show the rest of the state all the great things about Jacksonville.”
What do you like about your job?
“The people. I get to meet the most fascinating people with a high range of differences from every background. You can take back something positive from every single person you meet.”
How many members are there in the Duval County Legislative Delegation?
“Eleven. The delegation includes three senators and eight house members.”
What challenges do you face in your job?
“When I go to Tallahassee for the two months, it becomes real fast-paced, it gets very hectic and stressful, but it’s always exciting. You never know each day what is going to happen. The biggest challenges would be to make sure that everyone is communicating with each other and trying to get all the members together for meetings with a time that works for all of them because they are always going non-stop.”
Describe a typical day on the job.
“My days are never typical. I never know when that phone rings what is going to happen. We’re kind of like the information gathering place. We get tons of calls about different things, usually state-related like where bills are in the legislature or what bills have passed. We worked on the delegation report last year which I’m really proud of because we worked really hard on that and it was our first ever. Hopefully, we can do it every year now. We get calls from the members and set up delegation member meetings. When we’re getting ready for a local bill hearing, our job is to make sure the local bills are filed correctly, and I follow them through session. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s a fun job and it’s a hard job. Some days it’s just crazy in here and other days it’s very calm, but everyday is a learning experience.
Hometown
Panama City.
Resides
Murray Hill.
Family
Son Greg, 33, resides in Panama City and daughter Beth, 26 lives in Jacksonville. She has two grandchildren that live in Panama City.
Hobbies
Traveling. She’s been to England twice and is planning another trip there this year. She also likes to cook, read, and spend time with loved ones.
Favorites
Her favorite movie is Steel Magnolias. Her favorite book is Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and her favorite restaurant is Morton’s.
— by Carrie Resch