Holland & Knight attorney Dominic “Donny” MacKenzie has been elected second vice president of The Florida Bar Foundation, a statewide charitable organization that provides leadership and funding for justice in Florida.
MacKenzie began his term July 1 and has served as a foundation director since 2007.
His participation with the foundation has included legal assistance for the poor/law student assistance, Interest on
Trust Accounts operations, development and executive committees.
“I have enjoyed serving The Florida Bar Foundation, which is going through some tough times right now,” said
MacKenzie.
The foundation is mostly funded through interest earned on attorneys’ trust fund accounts, but because of low interest rates, it has suffered an 88 percent funding drop.
“The foundation had the foresight to develop a plan for
short-, medium- and long-term investments to prepare for tough times. We thought we would be able to weather the storm, but no one expected the storm to last this long,” said MacKenzie.
The foundation is the only statewide funder of civil legal services for the poor.
Other foundation programs include grants to improve the justice system, public service fellowships for law students and loan repayment assistance for attorneys at its legal aid grantee organizations.
Principal support for the foundation’s charitable activities comes from the Interest on Trust Accounts program implemented by the Florida Supreme Court in 1981.
MacKenzie is a member of the litigation department at Holland & Knight and specializes in the areas of medical and professional malpractice defense, health care litigation, product liability, construction litigation and personal injury.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his law degree from Florida State University College of Law.
He also served on many state and local Bar committees, including The Florida Bar committees on the rules of civil procedure, rules of judicial administration, rules of evidence and pro bono legal services; the Florida Supreme Court Standing Committee on Professionalism; and The Jacksonville Bar Association’s Pro Bono and Guardianship Committee.
He also is a past president of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
MacKenzie is a Florida Bar Foundation Fellow and a member of the Foundation’s Bronze Society for lifetime giving.