by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
From meeting and working with local, state and national leaders to historical information that would deem the world too small to escape the coveted “six degrees of separation” Mike Jennings has a story for every occasion.
A native Floridian, Jennings was born in Lakeland and moved to Jacksonville in the early 1950s. He attended Dupont High School and enrolled at the University of Florida before transferring to Florida State University after his freshman year. There he earned his undergraduate degree in foreign languages.
Jennings then followed his father’s footsteps and attended Stetson College of Law. The practice of law is something that runs deep in the Floridian’s blood, starting with his rather unorthodox grandmother.
“She was the fourth woman to be sworn in to the Vermont Bar,” said Jennings, a fact he verified during a visit to the Vermont Bar Association.
Jennings was teaching Spanish in December 1968 when he was drafted at the height of the Vietnam War. He joined the Navy and spent his first tour of duty in Key West, calling himself one of the “lucky ones.”
While there, Jennings applied for and received a commission in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Shortly thereafter, Jennings was assigned to Norfolk, where he served as Force Judge Advocate for the Commander Naval Air Force’s Atlantic Fleet. Following his Navy tour, he was hired by Prudential’s legal department in Jacksonville where he currently serves as vice president of Government Affairs for nine southeastern states.
Jennings said he always believed in the leadership and potential in his hometown.
“We have a great community and venue here,” said Jennings of the riverfront areas and the entire Downtown community. “We are the envy of a lot of communities, in and out of Florida.”
Jennings has one thing that constantly resonates on his resume: giving back to the community.
“If you’re blessed with good health and abilities, you should give back to the community,” said Jennings, a strong believer in service and professional organizations. “That service also provides a great opportunity to demonstrate and hone your leadership skills.”
Jennings has participated in numerous professional and corporate organizations. He is a member of the Florida Bar, past chair of the Florida Insurance Council, Communities in Schools of Florida and Florida TaxWatch.
“TaxWatch is a nonpartisan research institute that acts like a watchdog of people’s tax dollars,” said Jennings. “It is devoted to Florida taxing and spending issues, striving to ensure that taxes are equitable and that government is more responsive and productive in the use of taxpayers’ dollars.”
Since 1979, Florida TaxWatch’s cost-saving recommendations have saved taxpayers over $6.2 billion.
Jennings is currently chair of the Florida Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association and Associated Industries of Florida (AIF). AIF was founded in 1920 and is a not-for-profit organization that acts as a link between public policy and businesses in Florida.
Jennings also served on former Gov. Jeb Bush’s Task Force on Privacy and Technology, Gov. Charlie Crist’s Transition Citizens Review Group, and many other panels of similar nature and standing.
As for his recent appointment to vice chair of Downtown Vision, Inc., Jennings is excited about Jacksonville’s potential.
“Through its efforts to build, promote and maintain a healthy and vibrant Downtown community, DVI adds to the value of the Downtown experience,” said Jennings.
Recently, he was asked to be the Walk Chairman of Step Out, the American Diabetes Association’s annual fund raiser at the Jacksonville Zoo Nov. 8. It was a decision that was easy to make for Jennings, who has seen the devastating toll diabetes has on a person.
“My oldest daughter is a Type 1 diabetic,” said Jennings. “The estimated direct cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2007 was $116 billion.”
Florida’s costs alone for 2007 exceeded $12 billion. Over 100,000 North Floridians are diabetics and 30,000 of them don’t yet know they have the disease.
“Through education programs and research, we can make important inroads in reducing risks for developing diabetes and/or help in the management of this disease,” said Jennings.
A man who was raised with manners, Jennings believes in two things: leadership and volunteering. Many would say that Jennings is the picture of both.
356-2466