by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Jack Webb, the newly-installed City Council member for Dist. 6, knew he wanted to play the bagpipes long before he knew he wanted to be an attorney – much less a public servant.
“I’ve been playing the bagpipes since I was 12 years old,” he said. “I grew up just outside New York City and when my dad was transferred to upstate New York, there was a local band in Syracuse that gave free bagpipe lessons to anyone who would give it a try. I’ve been playing ever since.”
The pipes even helped Webb through school at Iona College, where he graduated in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in history.
“I didn’t get an academic scholarship, but I did get a partial music scholarship and played in the bagpipe band.”
Requests to put on the kilt and pick up the pipes have been a part of Webb’s entire life. Webb said he even had requests during his campaign for City Council including just days before both the general election and the runoff.
“It was a way for me to keep things in perspective and not get so hyped up about the election,” he said.
Webb and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to Florida in 1986 and lived in St. Augustine while she went to law school at the University of Florida. He played with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Dept. Pipes and Drums while working on his MBA at UF.
Then it was back home to New York and Wall Street for a while before the Sunshine State and law school beckoned Webb back to Gainesville where he received his law degree in 1994 (mayor’s office Chief of Staff Steve Diebenow was a classmate). When he joined the firm Mahoney, Adams and Criser, Webb and his family moved to Mandarin, where they have lived for more than 10 years.
He has worked for CEVA Logistics, Inc. (formerly TNT Logistics North America, Inc.) for more than seven years and is currently director of labor and employment relations and is responsible for negotiating and setting policy for the company’s North American collective bargaining activities.
“People know I’m a lawyer, but they don’t really understand what I do, because all of my practice is labor relations, union contracts and discrimination issues – and it’s outside this jurisdiction, mostly in Canada and Mexico. You won’t find me on the back of your phone book,” said Webb.
He said another thing people may not understand is their republican Council member’s political history. When he lived in New York, he was a registered Conservative because, he said, “Republicans in New York are pretty liberal.”
When he moved to Florida, Webb registered to vote as a Democrat because his father was a member of that party, but changed his affiliation six months after the last presidential election. He has been active in the River City Republican Club and currently serves on the Duval County Republican Committee as chair for Dist. 6.
Webb said his goals for the next four years include making certain Mandarin receives its fair share of City services in terms of maintenance and getting the parks in the district restored to the same level of functionality as parks in the other districts.
“I’m also very concerned about rewriting the district’s zoning. I want to make sure any new zoning reflects and preserves the unique character of the area.”
Transportation issues are also on his agenda and the topic gave Webb a chance to show he’s not against thinking “outside the box” from time to time.
“Most of the traffic on San Jose Boulevard is due to development in St. Johns County. We might be able to balance the City’s budget with a toll booth on the Julington Creek Bridge,” he said.
The new Council member is decorating his office at City Hall with things related to his district and its history, including a print depicting the Maple Leaf Civil War archaeological site that’s on loan from the Mandarin Historical Society. Webb said he hopes the decor makes visitors feel welcome.
“The door to this office will always be open to all my constituents. It’s not my office, it’s their office.”