The JEA board of directors is one vote away from seating a full board after experiencing a year of turnover and quorum issues.
Ashton Hudson, immediate past JEA board chair, quietly resigned April 10 with a one-sentence letter sent to Mayor Alvin Brown.
"Please accept my resignation from the board of directors of JEA effective April 10, 2013," his letter said.
Hudson said Tuesday he was "grateful for the opportunity to serve" on the board.
Wyman Winbush, 52, has been appointed by Brown to replace Hudson.
Hudson's term ended Feb. 28, but Winbush had not been confirmed by Council and Hudson continued to serve until his replacement was available.
During that period, the board voted to keep Hudson as chair and he explained that, as chair, he was involved in helping guide economic development projects and wanted to see those through.
"There are reasons why I think it is prudent for me to remain chairman at this time. I would propose for reasons that I would rather not get into now, but will become clear later, that I remain chair at least until we can get some clarity on these other issues," Hudson said at the Feb. 19 meeting.
Hudson remained relatively quiet about those "issues" Tuesday in an interview.
He stepped down as JEA board chair at the March 19 meeting.
"The new chair (Mike Hightower) has been briefed on all the issues facing JEA and I think Mike is capable of picking up the ball and running with it. There is nothing new to report on the issues I spoke of previously," said Hudson.
Hightower said Tuesday he was surprised to hear of Hudson's resignation and thought he was planning to serve a few more months before departing.
He gave Hudson high praise for his service as a member and chair.
"He was a rock star when we went to New York to meet with the ratings agencies to discuss our bond ratings. He really had it all together," said Hightower.
Council member Matt Schellenberg encouraged Hudson to remain on the board in February so he could "spearhead an economic development issue with JEA."
Schellenberg also recently learned of Hudson's resignation and had not had an opportunity to speak to him about the move.
"I guess he was able to do what he wanted to do in guiding a project that would provide an economic impact for Jacksonville," said Schellenberg, who also would not disclose details of the project.
The JEA board reached its maximum of seven members in 2012 when Peter Bower was confirmed by Council on Dec. 11.
If Hudson had decided to step down when not reappointed, the board would have slipped to six members, but Hudson agreed to stay on until a replacement was ready to fill his seat.
Winbush is a 1982 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, 1983 Naval Flight School graduate as a helicopter pilot and earned his MBA in 1989 at Jacksonville University.
He attended the university while stationed at Mayport, where he served as a flight instructor. He was assigned there in 1986.
His appointment is ready for a vote by the full City Council at its Tuesday meeting.
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