by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“I truly have enjoyed the nine years,” commented Bob Rhodes as he announced his resignation from the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC) at the group’s meeting Tuesday morning.
Rhodes, by profession an attorney at Foley & Lardner, began his service to Jacksonville’s economic development as a member of the now-defunct Downtown Development Authority. He said he has seen a lot of advances since his first day at the part-time, volunteer job.
“It has been an honor to have been a part of Jacksonville’s development,” he said. “I was there when the Downtown Master Plan was introduced and then the Better Jacksonville Plan. I’ve had the opportunity to serve with some terrific personalities and also some characters.”
Jacksonville Economic Development Executive Director Ron Barton read from a proclamation signed by Mayor John Peyton, who is in Washington, D.C. It recognized Rhodes’ many contributions and accomplishments during his term as a commissioner and for the past year, as chair of the panel.
The document recounted 22 projects that have been approved and implemented that generated 2,000 new jobs and $535 million in capital investment for Jacksonville. In the past nine years, Rhodes has had a hand in developing $1.4 billion worth of new Downtown residential properties and the approval of 600 new marina slips on the St. Johns River between the Hart and Fuller Warren bridges.
During his tenure as JEDC chair, Jacksonville landed its first aviation manufacturing project, Alenia North America, that will be headquartered at Cecil Commerce Center.
“We have had so many wonderful partners along the way,” said Rhodes, who added that Downtown Vision, Inc. the advocacy group for the Downtown Business Improvement District, has made particularly notable contributions.
“As much as anything, I am proud of the professionalism Ron Barton and his staff have brought to the JEDC,” said Rhodes.
“Bob’s been with me my entire career here,” said Barton, who took over the executive director’s post three years ago. “When I got here, Ceree Harden was chair and both he and Bob brought their own skill sets to the table. Ceree was instrumental in restructuring the JEDC into what it is today and Bob has made terrific contributions to developing Jacksonville. They were both the right guy at the right time. I know I’m going to miss Bob’s intellect and his institutional knowledge. He took us through the transition from getting our house in order to execution. We will all miss him, but it’s something every organization has to go through.”
Rhodes is taking a leave of absence from Foley & Lardner to take a sabbatical as Practitioner in Residence at the Georgia State College of Law affiliated with Georgia Tech University. He and his wife, Blythe, will live in Atlanta for a semester while Rhodes is in the classroom.
“It’s something I’m looking forward to as a life experience and also an opportunity to recharge,” said Rhodes. “I’ll also be able to contribute some of the experience I have developed during my career.”
When asked what he will remember as most important about what was accomplished during his almost decade of service with the DDA and JEDC Rhodes said, “The public investment policy we developed has really made a difference. It has become the business plan that drives our work.”
Commissioner Zim Boulos will serve as JEDC chair until Peyton appoints a new chair.
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