Three candidates for executive director of Downtown Vision Inc. were interviewed Wednesday: a city official, a former city official and a business improvement district executive from Camden, N.J.
Six members of the organization’s board of directors are evaluating candidates to replace Terry Lorince, DVI’s original executive director, who tendered her resignation in January and is leaving in April after her successor is in place.
Jack Shad, manager of the city Office of Public Parking, cited in his application 15 years of experience in urban planning, real estate development and city government.
He pointed out his effort to bring food trucks Downtown by designating a portion of a surface parking lot along Forsyth and Main streets where the mobile vendors serve lunch Monday-Friday.
“We took a city asset that wasn’t fully used and used it to add something to Downtown,” he said.
Shad also noted the partnership between the parking department and the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville that led to a pair of murals being painted on the Yates Building parking garage. He described the murals as “transformational” and said the public art created a landmark feature for Downtown.
Asked what he sees in DVI’s future, Shad said he would like to see the organization function more like a neighborhood association and that it needs to further develop its advocacy role.
“I want to see DVI capture the current enthusiasm for Downtown and prove its effectiveness,” he said.
Shad said the key to the organization’s long-term success will be to diversify its funding sources beyond the additional ad valorem tax assessment paid by some Downtown property owners that funds the organization.
Wells Fargo Senior Private Banker Abel Harding said his skills in relationship management and business development are among his qualifications as a candidate.
Harding also is chairman of the Cultural Council board of directors and former director of communications for Mayor Alvin Brown.
He cited his extensive network of relationships he has established over the years in the public and private sectors.
Harding pointed out his “behind the scenes” efforts when City Council president Clay Yarborough objected to the content of an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art and threatened to cut funding for the museum and the Cultural Council. He described it as a “crisis situation” and said, “I called the people I rely on.”
Harding sees DVI’s role as being to ensure that Downtown is clean and safe and to create more events to bring people Downtown. He also said the organization should increase its revenue and the board could aid that effort.
The third candidate interviewed, Jake Gordon, is president of the board of directors for the business improvement district in Camden, N.J., and vice president of Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, Camden’s nonprofit economic development corporation.
A former litigation attorney, Gordon said in his cover letter he has been seeking the right opportunity for some time to relocate to Jacksonville. He and his wife are former residents of Atlantic Beach and his wife’s family lives near Gainesville.
Gordon cited expertise in obtaining grants as one of his qualifications. He secured a $5.8 million federal grant to create bike lanes in Camden and then landed another $180,000 grant to fund documentation of the performance of the lanes.
Gordon said aggressively seeking grants from government and private entities should be part of DVI’s operations.
“You have to be relentless,” he said.
Search Committee Chair Pat McElhaney said at least three more candidates will be interviewed this month before a short list is determined. Second-round interviews will be conducted and then the committee’s selection will be presented to the full board for its approval.
Other DVI board members on the search committee are Keith Brown, Steve Crosby, Terry Durand, Bill Prescott and Debbie Buckland, board chair.
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