With a series of announcements in July, leadership at the top level of three publicly funded organizations in Jacksonville spun into flux.
On July 3, Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nat Ford announced he would step down in January from the organization he had led for more than 13 years. Ten days later, news outlets in Dallas unofficially identified him as the Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s choice for its next CEO, which DART made official July 21.
Following Ford’s resignation from JTA, Downtown Vision Inc. CEO Jake Gordon announced July 7 he was stepping down effective Sept. 30.
Then came the July 29 announcement that JEA CEO Vickie Cavey was taking a leave of absence for at least two weeks but no more than 60 days.
It had been more than a year since even one similar organization underwent a leadership change, which occurred when former Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer retired in June 2025 after six years on the job and was succeeded by Colin Tarbert two months later.
In many cases, the top positions in such organizations don’t change often. Ford has been at JTA for nearly 14 years. Gordon has led DVI for 11. JaxPort CEO Eric Green has been in his position since 2017 and Mark VanLoh is approaching his eighth anniversary as CEO of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
JEA is an exception, with Cavey being the city-owned utility’s third CEO since 2018.
Now, with two top positions on the verge of trading hands and with JEA under interim leadership, here is a breakdown of where things stand with each organization.
The latest: On July 29, the JTA board voted to establish a committee comprising all seven board members to develop a strategy for the CEO search process. On Aug. 4, the board signaled that they would choose an internal candidate as an interim CEO at its Aug. 27 meeting and would retain an outside firm to lead the process to replace Ford long-term.
JTA basics: The independent JTA builds transportation infrastructure and operates public transit in Duval County, including fixed-route city buses, regional commuter shuttles, the St. Johns River Ferry, the Skyway overhead tram and the Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation system in Downtown. Its 2025-26 budget is $13.7 million.
The background: DART hired Ford on a 9-6 vote in which some board members complained that he had emerged as a candidate late in the process, leaving them too little time to adequately vet him. Board members also raised concerns about JTA’s financial condition after the authority suffered a $14.2 million budget deficit in fiscal year 2026 and projected a $17.5 million deficit in fiscal year 2027. Since then, the Daily Record reported that public records showed $15.06 million worth of delinquent bills on JTA’s books.
Ford’s supporters on the DART board pointed to leadership roles at transportation agencies in Atlanta, San Francisco and Jacksonville and said he had a strong vision for DART.
What’s next: Although Ford set a January 2027 effective date when he announced his resignation from JTA, DART set his starting date in Dallas as Oct. 26. The JTA board has not determined whether to name an interim, and disagreed about whether to hire a consultant. Instead, they agreed to begin a procurement process to find a search firm.
The latest: In interviews after his resignation announcement, Gordon described his departure as a “natural process.” He said that after he had “kind of lived my job” for several years, it was time for him to step away and for DVI to bring on fresh perspective in its leadership.
DVI basics: The nonprofit organization is funded primarily by Downtown property owners through a 1.1-mill property tax assessment. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value. DVI promotes and advocates politically for Downtown while also facilitating events, producing research and providing maintenance, beautification, security and hospitality through its Downtown Ambassador program. DVI’s budget is about $5 million.
The background: Gordon’s departure comes with DVI possibly on the brink of tense times. There has been discussion about expanding DVI’s territory to include LaVilla, the home of the University of Florida’s graduate campus, and to the Sports and Entertainment District, which would require additional staffing and funding. In addition, voters are scheduled to decide in November whether to raise the state’s
property tax homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 by fiscal year 2029, which according to Jacksonville City Council auditors would reduce the city’s tax revenue by $300 million in FY29.
In a city where Council members already have reduced completion grants as incentives for Downtown redevelopment, the potential reduction in city revenue could further choke off public assistance for revitalization.
What’s next: Plans call for DVI Chief Operating Officer Eric Miller to step in as interim CEO beginning Oct. 1. The board has not decided on a process to find a long-term successor.
The latest: The announcement of Cavey’s leave did not provide a reason for it, raising questions about why it was happening. Jacksonville City Council member
Kevin Carrico, who made allegations against Cavey of racism and toxic workplace culture under her leadership, noted the timing, saying it came two days after Council auditors told a Council committee that JEA failed to collect as much as $75 million in capacity fees over several decades.
JEA spokespersons later said Cavey’s leave was not performance-related and that connecting it to the Council’s actions was “absurd.”
On social media, Council member Matt Carlucci called on Carrico to stop making “unfair and untrue comments and assumptions” and respect Cavey’s privacy.
“Accountability is important, but so are fairness and simple human decency,” he wrote.
The background: Carrico was Council president when, in 2025, he nominated his
boss at Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, Paul Martinez, to replace Arthur Adams on the JEA board. In February 2026, Action News Jax published texts between Carrico and Adams showing that Carrico wanted to make the changes as a “big favor” to a friend.
Carrico made the allegations against Cavey a short time later.
Cavey has denied the claims. Carrico, whose texts prompted an investigation by the State Attorney’s Office, denies any wrongdoing.
As Council president, Carrico launched a special committee to investigate the allegations and the collection fees.
Current Council President Nick Howland allowed the special committee to lapse after one year, but appointed another committee to focus strictly on the collection
fees, which are one-time charges to connect to water, wastewater and reclamation systems.
What’s next: Jody Brooks will serve in a temporary capacity as CEO while Cavey is away, JEA said. The Council special committee is continuing to probe into the collection fees, and the State Attorney’s Office has made no announcements on its investigation of Carrico. JEA says it is awaiting the results of an independent review of its workplace culture by Jackson Lewis, an employment law firm it hired in March to conduct the review.