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Northeast Florida Advisory Council

Henry Dean
Henry Dean is former executive director for both the South Florida Water Management District and the St. Johns River Water Management District. Dean has served as general counsel for the Florida Department of Natural Resources and was an attorney in private practice. He is a member of the Interstate Council on Water Policy, the American Water Resources Association, and the Florida A&M University Center for Water Quality Advisory Council.

Linda Chapin
Linda Chapin is director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at the University of Central Florida. Chapin served as the first elected mayor for Orange County and her tenure included the construction of the nation's second-largest convention center, a new courthouse, the Regional History Center, and fifteen parks and trails. She has received recognition as the Outstanding Elected Official of the Year from the Florida Planning Association, Alumni of the Year from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; and as the first female recipient of the James B. Greene Economic Development Award from the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission.

Charles Commander
Charles Commander is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP and as an attorney has been involved in all aspects of real estate investment and development. He has been recognized by the "Best Lawyers in America" in every edition for twenty-five years. Commander is chairman of the Jacksonville Housing and Neighborhood Development Commission and serves on the board of the Delta Waterfowl Foundation and board of several companies in the financial and real estate development business. He has previously served on the boards of The Cummer Museum and Gardens, Jacksonville Housing Authority, University of North Florida Foundation, Jacksonville Zoological Society, Museum of Science and History, University of Florida Law Center Association, the Bolles School and Jacksonville Episcopal High School.

Jack Diamond
Jack Diamond has been a principal at Rink Design Partnership Inc. since 1998 and was previously president of KBJ Architects. He has been responsible for the design of a number of award-winning projects in the Jacksonville area, including the Southern Bell Tower, the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, and Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra. Diamond has served as chairman of the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureaus, the United Way Campaign, and as vice chairman of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.

Fred D. Franklin, Jr.
Fred Franklin is an attorney with Rogers Towers, P.A. His practice includes commercial litigation and land use litigation. He is a former general counsel for the City of Jacksonville and has served on the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and the Jacksonville Port Authority. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of St. Vincent's Hospital and Atlantic Coast Bank.

Doris Goldstein
Doris Goldstein is an attorney whose practice focuses on New Urban development. She is closely associated with the development of Seaside, a compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly community in the Florida Panhandle that is recognized as the first example of New Urbanist principles. Goldstein is a member of the Congress for New Urbanism, the Urban Land Institute and the Florida Bar's committee on condominiums and planned developments. She writes and lectures frequently, including lectures to the American Bar Association, the Urban Land Institute and the Florida Bar and is co-author of a book, A Legal Guide to Urban and Sustainable Development for Planners, Developers and Architects, to be published this year by Wiley Publishing Company.

David Hammers
David Hammers is co-founder of Rouse & Associates, a New Jersey commercial real estate business that launched its Florida operations in 1973. The firm went public as a real estate investment trust, Liberty Property Trust, in 1994. Today known as Liberty Property Trust and headquartered near Philadelphia, the company has a market capitalization of approximately $7 billion and is active in 20 markets throughout the United States and United Kingdom. In Florida, the company owns more than 10 million square feet of office and industrial space and has offices in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Boca Raton. Hammer is an avid bass fisherman.

Clay Henderson
Clay Henderson is a law practitioner for Holland & Knight, specializing in environmental law, land use, real estate, and Smart Growth initiatives. He was former president of the Florida Audubon Society, co-authored the "Save Our Everglades" constitutional amendments, and helped launch Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever. Henderson has served on the Volusia County Council, Florida Greenways Commission, Florida Communities Trust, and the Florida Pollution Prevention Council. He is active on the board of directors for the St. Johns River Alliance and has received numerous awards for his public service from environmental groups including the Nature Conservancy, Florida Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, and Florida Audubon Society.

Carlton Jones
Carlton Jones is chairman of Colbyco Enterprises, Inc., a company that performs site work, excavation landscaping, installation, and real estate development, and offers advertising and marketing consultation. Jones serves as president of Renaissance Design Build Group of Jacksonville, Inc. He is former president of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce--Northwest Council, Associated Builders and Contractors, and Leadership Jacksonville. Jones has served on a variety of boards, including the First African-American Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, and the Edwards Waters College Board of Trustees.

Linda King
Linda Braddock King is the chair of the Florida Faith-based and Community-based Advisory Council, appointed in 2006 by former Gov. Jeb Bush, and was elected chair of the council in January 2007. Linda has served on The Trust for Public Land's Northeast Florida Advisory Council since 2001, and is currently on the TPL's Leadership team for the St. Johns River Initiative. As an avid nature enthusiast with a keen interest in the conservation and development of natural resources for the benefit of Florida's citizens, former Presidents of the Senate, Jim King and Tom Lee, appointed Linda as a member of the Florida Greenways and Trails Council and in February 2008 was appointed Vice Chair of the Florida Greenways and Trails Council.

Linda is currently a Board Member of the St. Johns River Alliance, FreshMinistries and founder of FreshLinks, a FreshMininstries Initiative. Linda was a Finalist for Jacksonville's Eve awards in 2006 for her Volunteer Service efforts in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, as co-founder of Women to the Rescue, which is now Neighbors to the Rescue, a statewide initiative of the Volunteer Florida Foundation. In 2006, Volunteer Jacksonville awarded Linda with the Planned Acts of Kindness Award at its annual recognition gala for area volunteers. Linda is currently serving on Volunteer Jacksonville's Board of Directors. In the past, Linda was appointed by Gov. Chiles to serve on the Florida Board of Dentistry from 1989-1996. She has also supported Jacksonville's civic activities through a variety of organizations including the Junior League and Seminole Boosters. The Women's Republican Club of Duval County recently gave her the Legacy Award for Community Service for being the 2006 Volunteer of the Year. She also won the award from the Florida Federation of Republican Women as the volunteer of the year in 2006-2007.

Linda is currently a member of Jacksonville's Katherine Livingston chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. Linda and her husband, Jim, have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

Ginny Myrick
Ginny Myrick is senior policy advisor of government relations for Holland & Knight, focusing on land use, residential and large-scale commercial development, downtown redevelopment, legislative issues such as water policy and environmentally sensitive land, and government incentives for corporate relocations and expansions. She has served as vice chair of Florida Communities Trust, as a county commissioner for Duval County, and was a founder of the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless. Myrick was a member of the executive staff for former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney, served as vice president of government relations for the Jacksonville Port Authority, and has chaired the Florida Humanities Council, the Jacksonville Museum of Science and History, and the American Red Cross.

John Schultz
John Schultz is CEO of The Schultz Companies, a firm that works in real estate brokerage, development, property management, and general construction. He serves as director of Daniel Properties, Jacksonville Bancorp, Southeast-Atlantic Corporation, and the Metro YMCA. He is a former director of the Museum of Science and History, St. Vincent's Foundation, Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, Bolles Alumni Board and Board of Visitors, Intrepid Capital Corp., and Junior Achievement of Jacksonville.

Ann Shorstein
Ann Shorstein is a law professor at the Florida Coastal School of Law, where she teaches courses in real estate transactions and civil dispute resolution. She previously worked as an attorney with Holland Knight and served as deputy chief administrative officer for the City of Jacksonville. Shorstein has worked in real estate, as a campaign manager, has owned an art gallery, and has taught fifth and sixth grade.

 

John M. Welch, Jr.
John M. Welch, Jr. is a partner with the national law firm Foley & Lardner LLP. A member of the firm's Finance and Real Estate Practice Groups, he practices in the areas of corporate finance, banking, public finance, commercial real estate and economic development.John received his law degree from the University of Florida (J.D., with honors), where he served as editor-in-chief and comments editor of the Florida Law Review. He received a master's degree from the University of Florida (M.A.), and prior to serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy, he received a bachelor's degree from Stetson University (A.B., with honors).

John is immediate past-chair and member of the executive committee of the North Florida District Council, Urban Land Institute; an officer and director of Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville (HabiJax); a member of the board of directors of Downtown Vision, Inc., the Jacksonville Historical Society and Preservation Project North Florida; and a member of the Northeast Florida Advisory Council of The Trust for Public Land. He is past chair of the boards of the Jacksonville Museum of Science and History and JaxPride and has served on the board of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and a number of cultural and civic organizations. He is a Trustee, and past general counsel and executive committee member, of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and is an alumnus of Leadership Jacksonville. In 2004, Mr. Welch was given the Thomas Klechak Award by the Jacksonville Downtown Development Authority for his contributions to downtown revitalization. He is also the recipient of his firm's Lynford Lardner Award for distinguished community service.

Updated 7/2009