Staff Writer
Some graduates already in races
Like culture itself, politics must adjust to generational gaps.
Term limits, age and changes in ideals all guaranty that the leaders of today aren’t necessarily the leaders of tomorrow.
The Political Leadership Institute wants to help educate “new blood” to fill that void with individuals who advocate on behalf of business instead of party lines.
Closely tied to JaxBiz, an affiliate of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Political Leadership Institute is a no-fee, nonpartisan, political educational program for people interested in public leadership.
“JaxBiz has been in the business of supporting candidates and elected officials through endorsements,” said Preston Haskell, the Political Leadership Institute’s executive board chair. “We had never actually tried to inspire, recruit and educate business-minded candidates (before PLI).”
The program concluded its second 28-member, two-day class in May at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business.
Topics for the all-day sessions included regional economic development, political strategies, polling and City issues.
“They’re really getting a college education on how to be a candidate,” said Mike Hightower, an institute executive board member.
Hightower and Haskell are among the dozen board members with strong Chamber ties who have been encouraged by the initial response to the program. It received close to 100 and 90 applicants for its first two classes, respectively.
For Mark Mills, a directing consultant who helped form the original program in Orlando, the response has been extremely strong.
“Jacksonville is a pretty interesting market,” said Mills. “It’s the most politically astute community in Florida.”
Mills, active in political consulting since the early 1980s, said the praise stems from the level of engagement citizens have taken in local politics, the quality of names who have stepped up to run for office and the level of response for the institute’s first two classes, in 2009 and this year.
“I was expecting 50-60 applicants in the first year,” he said. “I was blown away when 100 came through.”
Just because people are interested doesn’t mean they are automatically accepted into the program, though. The first two classes have accepted 28 people each, a number Hightower said he expects for future classes.
Applicants and their resumes are vetted by a selection committee, chaired by board member Lynn Pappas, that narrows the number of candidates for interviews.
Coming up with a final list has been the biggest challenge, said Pappas, who, like Hightower and Mills, was surprised with the large number of interested participants.
Pappas, a shareholder with Pappas Metcalf, said she became involved with the program to keep the business community engaged with the political process.
Members of the class aren’t pressured to run for office, but many already have made their intentions formal, and some against institute classmates.
Unitary elections in 2011 feature three graduates, Jill Dame, Jim Love and Kendall Bryan, who are running for the City Council District 14 seat, while two others, Michelle Tappouni and Dane Grey, seek the Council At-Large Seat 5.
Other graduates running for office include mayoral candidate Alvin Brown and Duval County School Board candidate Irvin PeDro Cohen.
The relatively small number of available offices compared to the number of current and future in-stitute students doesn’t concern Hightower.
Attrition has an effect, he said, as some graduates decide not to run or they move.
As for graduates already running against each other, the more qualified candidates running, the better, he said.
“It’s a good problem to have,” he said.
Once members declare for an office, they can no longer participate in the program. Being a graduate doesn’t guarantee an endorsement from JaxBiz, either.
Haskell said the program is free to the students because the program is funded by 10-15 business donors who each contributed $10,000-$15,000. The institute’s annual budget is about $125,000.
The newest Political Leadership Institute in the Tampa area is slated for September, said Mills, and will follow the Jacksonville model. Business organizations and chambers from South Florida, northern Virginia, Pensacola and Atlanta, among other areas, have called to ask about the Jacksonville institute, he said.
Mills said the challenge will be keeping the public informed and engaged while maintaining the momentum of the first two classes.
“This is what it’s supposed to be like,” he said of the interest.
The next Political Leadership Institute class in Jacksonville will be in the second quarter of 2011.
Political Leadership Institute Executive Board
Chair, Preston Haskell, The Haskell Co.
Ron Autrey, Miller Electric president and CEO
Ed Burr, GreenPointe Holdings president and CEO
Marty Fiorentino, The Fiorentino Group president
Mike Hightower, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida director of governmental and legislative relations
Wally Lee, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce president
Kelly Madden, 2010 Chamber chair, Wells Fargo North Florida market president
Joe McCann, Davis College of Business dean
Michael O’Malley, CSX vice president for state government relations
Lynn Pappas, Pappas Metcalf shareholder
Ava Parker, Lawrence & Parker shareholder
Peter Rummell, Jacksonville Civic Council chair
Inaugural class 2009
Greg Anderson
Alvin Brown
John Campbell
Billy Catlin
Jennifer Chapman
Irvin PeDro Cohen
Jarik Conrad
John Cooksey
Jill Dame
Richard Danford
Juan Diaz
Wyman Duggan
Sean Hall
David Hamilton
Audrey Hernandez
Nick Howland
Ryan Jones
Jim Love
Jeanne Miller
Angela Nixon
Larissa Ross
Carlton Robinson
Michelle Tappouni
Frank Wallmeyer
Blair Wygle
2010 class
Lori Boyer
Anna Lopez Brosche
Kendall Bryan
James Cole Cartledge
Joshua Cockrell
Richard Cuff
Justin Damiano
Terri Davlantes
Kathleen Ehresman
Jeff Evans
Ellen Glasser
Philip Green
Dane Grey
Matthew Hugo
Michael Jackson
Keith Johnson
Matthew Kampfe
Will Lahnen
Efrain (Frank) Lopez
Paul Martinez
Sean Mulhall
Kimberly O’Steen
Rhonda Peoples-Waters
Chris Shea
Bruce Strutsman
Andrew Wheeler
Tara Wildes
Christina Williamson
Davis College of Business participants
Matthew Dobbins
Megan Slentz
Anh Vuong
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