The Jacksonville Bar Association will elect a president-elect and five members of its 2026-27 board of governors.
Online voting begins April 16 and ends May 6, 2026. In-person voting before the annual Law Day luncheon May 7 will conclude the election.
Here are the candidates and their goals for the association in 2026-27. Visit https://tinyurl.com/zdfmusu4 to read each candidiate’s qualifications.
President-elect candidate
“As president-elect of the JBA, I will strive to maintain the collegiality already present in our local community. JBA membership offers myriad opportunities to strengthen those professional bonds. From having personal conversations with local judiciary, to learning the most important and cutting-edge legal updates from the best and the brightest, to forging new friendships and rediscovering former colleagues, the JBA is the hub of each of these connections. With our forthcoming strategic plan implementation, being a JBA member will be more exciting and valuable than ever before. I’m excited about what the future of the JBA holds for our members and for the greater Jacksonville community.”
Board of governors candidates
“Jacksonville’s legal community is exceptional. We hold each other to high standards and treat each other with respect. Ultimately our clients are better off for it and we are able to maintain some semblance of mental health. In my personal view, this is driven by the expectation that, in this town, we will eventually cross paths with each other again. And to that end, the JBA and its events play an important role in keeping us honest. The more you show your face, the better a professional you will be. My goals for the JBA are to encourage active membership, devote attention to mental health and well-being, and continue to serve the community through pro bono and service projects.”
“As lawyers, we are uniquely positioned as leaders to have the opportunity to positively impact our members and community. I hope to bring my past and current leadership experience to provide a vast array of resources to our members and the community, including increasing the reach of CLEs, curating creative networking and mentoring opportunities, improving the local lawyer referral service, emphasizing the continued need for professionalism and respect for judicial system and all that surrounds it, providing necessary tools for lawyers to succeed in the ever-changing technological landscape and maximize individual participation in pro bono initiatives.”
The JBA plays an important role in upholding respect for our judiciary and system of justice and in addressing issues facing the profession. It has also fostered a strong culture of collegiality and professional competence and should continue to do so. I hope to help ensure the organization remains practical, engaged, and valuable to Jacksonville lawyers.”
“As the former interim executive director, I have unmatched insight and understanding of the organization. The JBA is facing a complicated transition as it is modernized under new leadership. I have three main areas of focus. 1. Financial stability. The JBA has been functionally operating at a loss since 2021. The JBA must increase revenues by growing paid membership, increasing sponsor dollars and expanding the Lawyer Referral Service. 2. Membership. The JBA only has 1,635 paying members, or 34% of the attorneys in Duval, down from 37.5% in 2017. 3. Community involvement. The JBA should be a leader not just in the legal community, but in Jax, by working with the Chamber and Civic Council.”
“The Jacksonville Bar Association has a long and distinguished history of being at the forefront of organizations in its field. While as an organization it has excelled in many ways it is critical that we actively seek ways to improve and expand our outreach to members. My goal is that this organization is consistently thought of in a positive manner by the members of the Jacksonville legal community. I do not wish to achieve this in any other manner than simply being a place where all local lawyers feel welcomed, can turn to to have their questions answered and most importantly have their experience of practicing law enhanced because they are members of this organization.”
“Implement a ‘culture of openness’ by publishing the annual budget, board meeting minutes and nonsensitive financial and marketing information on the JBA website for members to access. Strengthen membership through tailored onboarding, exclusive digital communities and loyalty programs that offer real value. Utilize marketing efforts that leverage storytelling, user-generated content and social media analytics to demonstrate member ROI and reach an expanded audience. Build long-term community partnerships by actively engaging in local organizations’ events. Submit a competitive RFP for an organization to deliver affordable mental health and wellness services to our members.”
“My goal for the JBA is to serve as a support system for members to become more actively involved in the non-legal community. Historically, the JBA has done a wonderful job of creating programs designed to teach its members ethics, professionalism and substantive law. My vision for the JBA is to teach its members how to leverage their legal training into more civic activities that can be best served in their own communities. This would entail providing members with training on how to better identify and serve civically. As attorneys we uniquely possess the skillset of analytic thinking, mediating and problem solving that can help us serve in this capacity.”
“Over my past five years as one of your governors, we have continued to increase membership and included new categories for certified paralegals and law students to gain a broader spectrum of individuals who can benefit from our programs and networking. I want to get 100% of the attorneys in the North Florida area as members of the JBA. One prior goal was to strengthen bonds between the JBA and our community, especially the youth. We have increased participation within the Raines High School Future Lawyers/Leaders Program spreading the program to new schools and increased community service initiatives. I want to continue these initiatives with continued emphasis on our schools.”
“As a governor, I will work to enhance our services to our members. I would like to see our referral service grow into a program that provides real value to our members as well as to the public. Having been registered with the referral service in the past, I believe that this service can, if implemented correctly, be a real asset to many members of the Jacksonville Bar Association and can at the same time provide value to the public. I am also interested growing our membership and providing more opportunities for our membership to engage with the Jacksonville Bar on a meaningful level, including through CLE offerings, mentoring programming, social programming and luncheons.”
“For my fourth term on the board of governors, I will partner with our new executive director and staff to see through the board’s strategic visions that were set forth this year to ensure that Jacksonville is the best place to practice law. Our goals are to create a career changing experience for members, maintain a high-performing organization recognized for leadership excellence, capitalize on JBA’s reputation to expand community partnerships and leverage the JBA’s resources for impact and generational sustainability.”