by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
After four years under the guidance of Foley & Lardner attorney Bob Rhodes, the board of directors at Florida Coastal School of Law has chosen a new chair.
At its September meeting, Sulzbacher Center President and CEO Audrey Moran was elected chair, succeeding Rhodes and becoming the school’s second board chair.
“ I knew I was being considered and I am thrilled I was chosen” said Moran.
Leadership isn’t new to Moran, whose husband is County Court Judge John Moran. She’s a former chair of the now-defunct Downtown Development Authority and served as chief of staff under Mayor John Delaney. An attorney, Moran was a mediator before being tabbed by the board of the Sulzbacher Center to succeed Sheri Burns.
Moran has been a member of the FCSL’s board since its inception four years ago and welcomes the opportunity to work with Dean Peter Goplerud and the school’s faculty and students.
“I will work closely with Dean Goplerud to formulate a plan for the school and the day-to-day needs of the student body,” said Moran.
Rhodes more than approves of the board’s choice.
“She’s a terrific choice,” said Rhodes, who is also chair of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. “When you think of Audrey Moran, what comes to mind is someone who is highly respected, very experienced, highly motivated and very well connected in the Northeast Florida legal and business communities. She’s enormously energetic and we are fortunate to have her.”
Moran will serve a two-year term and one issue she may have to tackle is expansion. Since it was founded, the growing law school has moved from a renovated apartment complex on Beach Boulevard to a state-of-the-art campus on the Southside. However, that campus is already at capacity.
“We are evaluating that (growth) on a regular basis,” said Moran, who graduated from Duke Law School and was admitted to The Florida Bar Oct. 17, 1984. “Fortunately, we have had continued growth each year. That shows there is a lot of interest in high-quality legal education in this area.”
Moran said there isn’t an immediate need for a satellite campus — there has been talk the school may have a presence in the new County Courthouse campus — but school officials are “always looking” for an opportunity to expand.
Moran also said serving as chair of the law school will only help her cause in running the city’s largest homeless facility.
“The best lawyers are those who consider themselves community trustees,” she said. “The Sulzbacher Center is just one of many high-quality non-profits in Northeast Florida. The ability to link those two only enhances both organizations.”
Rhodes said the law school is still in the process of developing an identity, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since it celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.
“Since Dean Goplerud came on board, we have developed a good mission,” said Rhodes, explaining the school puts its students and teachers first. “We have strengthened our board and expanded our board. In the last two years, Paul Vance (senior vice president of football operations and general counsel for the Jacksonville Jaguars), Paul Perez (Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Fidelity National Title Group, Inc. and former United States attorney for the Middle District of Florida) and Hank Coxe (former Florida Bar president) have joined the board. They have made terrific contributions and advances and taken the school into the business and legal community. We have made contacts and progress there.
“Are we there yet? No. Are we making progress? Yes. And, Audrey will continue that.”
Goplerud is looking forward to working with Moran, as well.
“We are delighted Audrey has agreed to serve as the chair of our board of advisors in the coming years,” said Goplerud. “Her passion for the law, her impressive skills, and her extremely high level of professionalism will be a wonderful contribution to the continued success of Coastal Law.”
Barbara “Babs” Strickland of The Suddath Companies and Kenneth L. Shropshire, David W. Hauck, Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, are also members of Coastal Law’s board of directors.
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