Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan names new Chief of Staff

ActionNewsJax.com News Staff
·2 min read
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Darnell Smith will serve as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff starting on January 2.

The news comes four days after Action News Jax told you Mayor Deegan’s first pick for Chief of Staff, Pat McCullough, would be stepping down to explore other roles in city government.

Smith is an executive with Florida Blue, serving as its North Region Market President.

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He served on Mayor Deegan’s transition team, and on the boards of Sulzbacher, the Cathedral Arts Project, First Coast YMCA, LIFT JAX, the JAX Chamber, the JAXUSA Policy Council, United Way of Northeast Florida, the A.L. Lewis Black Opportunity and Impact Fund, and Blue Zones Jacksonville.

“I’m excited and grateful that Darnell is joining the Mayor’s Office to lead our talented team,” Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news release. “He will build upon our administration’s early successes, and with decades of experience and a deep love of Jacksonville, I believe he will maximize this transformational moment in time for our city.”

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“It’s an honor to answer the call to serve Mayor Deegan and people across Jacksonville,” Darnell Smith said in the same news release. “I believe in her vision of an inclusive and thriving city that works for all of us – and the shared value that our community is stronger when it’s united. I’m looking forward to working with Mayor Deegan and the team to take big steps forward for our city.”

Florida Blue will cover Smith’s salary and benefits.

He’s on an “executive loan” through a contract between the company and the City of Jacksonville.

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