John Delaney
Encyclopedia
John Adrian Delaney is an American
lawyer, politician
and university administrator. He currently serves as the president of the University of North Florida
. A member of the Republican Party, he served as mayor of Jacksonville
, Florida
from 1995 to 2003. In addition he also served as interim chancellor of the State University System of Florida
.
, Michigan
and was raised in Cincinnati
, Ohio
. His family moved to Jacksonville when he was sixteen. He graduated from Terry Parker High School
in 1974 and attended the University of Florida
, where he joined Delta Upsilon
fraternity and received a B.A.
and a law degree
. Delaney and his wife Gena married in 1980 and reside in Neptune Beach
. They have four children.
Delaney passed the Florida Bar exam in 1981 and was hired by then State Attorney Ed Austin
, eventually becoming Austin's Chief Assistant State Attorney. When Austin was elected Mayor of Jacksonville in 1991, Delaney became the city's General Counsel
for a short time, and then served as Austin's chief of staff. Delaney ran for mayor himself in 1995 when Austin declined to seek a second term.
to become mayor of Jacksonville
, Florida
, serving two consecutive terms from 1995 to 2003. He was the first Republican elected to the position since Reconstruction. He was succeeded by John Peyton
in July 2003.
During his mayoral term, Delaney was noted for launching the Better Jacksonville Plan
, a massive, $2.25 billion package of projects for municipal improvements funded by a sales tax
increase, as well as the Preservation Project, a series of land grant
s for parks. He was one of the most popular mayors in Jacksonville's history, enjoying consistently high approval ratings and running unopposed for his second election. In 2003, he received the President's Conservation Achievement Award from The Nature Conservancy
for the Preservation Project.
(UNF) in 2003, which resulted in a surge of building projects, including a new Student Union building and a new Social Sciences building, as well as a proposed slate of new programs to build UNF according to the master plan. Under his leadership, the university has launched a flagship program designed to identify its top programs, which ran through 2009. The program works with local and state officials in finding suitable programs that students can use to benefit the First Coast
area and the state of Florida as a whole. Delaney has made UNF the only state university in Florida to promise not cutting employee positions in the wake of the budget shortfall in the state in 2008.
. He took over for Mark B. Rosenberg
who had resigned to return to Florida International University
. He served for the 2009 legislative session, and was not paid any compensation. In July 2009, Frank T. Brogan was named the new chancellor of the State University System.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, politician
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
and university administrator. He currently serves as the president of the University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
. A member of the Republican Party, he served as mayor of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
from 1995 to 2003. In addition he also served as interim chancellor of the State University System of Florida
State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
.
Early life
Delaney was born in LansingLansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and was raised in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. His family moved to Jacksonville when he was sixteen. He graduated from Terry Parker High School
Terry Parker High School
Terry Parker High School is a public high school in the Duval County Public School district, located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.-Namesake:...
in 1974 and attended the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, where he joined Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America...
fraternity and received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and a law degree
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
. Delaney and his wife Gena married in 1980 and reside in Neptune Beach
Neptune Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach is a beachfront city in Duval County, Florida, United States, located to the east of Jacksonville. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with the city of Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Baldwin, remained...
. They have four children.
Delaney passed the Florida Bar exam in 1981 and was hired by then State Attorney Ed Austin
Ed Austin
T. Edward "Ed" Austin, Jr. was an American politician and attorney. He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1991 to 1995. He also served as the first Public Defender for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit from 1963 to 1968, and served as State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit from...
, eventually becoming Austin's Chief Assistant State Attorney. When Austin was elected Mayor of Jacksonville in 1991, Delaney became the city's General Counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
for a short time, and then served as Austin's chief of staff. Delaney ran for mayor himself in 1995 when Austin declined to seek a second term.
Mayor of Jacksonville
In 1995, Delaney defeated former mayor Jake GodboldJake Godbold
Jake Maurice Godbold is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1978–1987....
to become mayor of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, serving two consecutive terms from 1995 to 2003. He was the first Republican elected to the position since Reconstruction. He was succeeded by John Peyton
John Peyton (US politician)
John Stephens Peyton is an American businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 2003 to 2011. He was the second Republican to be elected to the position since 1888....
in July 2003.
During his mayoral term, Delaney was noted for launching the Better Jacksonville Plan
Better Jacksonville Plan
The Better Jacksonville Plan is a growth management plan implemented by the city of Jacksonville, Florida. It was the signature project of Mayor John Delaney. It was approved by Jacksonville voters on September 5, 2000...
, a massive, $2.25 billion package of projects for municipal improvements funded by a sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
increase, as well as the Preservation Project, a series of land grant
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
s for parks. He was one of the most popular mayors in Jacksonville's history, enjoying consistently high approval ratings and running unopposed for his second election. In 2003, he received the President's Conservation Achievement Award from The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
for the Preservation Project.
University of North Florida
Delaney was appointed President of the University of North FloridaUniversity of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
(UNF) in 2003, which resulted in a surge of building projects, including a new Student Union building and a new Social Sciences building, as well as a proposed slate of new programs to build UNF according to the master plan. Under his leadership, the university has launched a flagship program designed to identify its top programs, which ran through 2009. The program works with local and state officials in finding suitable programs that students can use to benefit the First Coast
First Coast
The First Coast is a region of Florida, in the United States. It extends along the Atlantic, or eastern, coast of the state, from the Georgia border, past the southern end of Anastasia Island, to Marineland....
area and the state of Florida as a whole. Delaney has made UNF the only state university in Florida to promise not cutting employee positions in the wake of the budget shortfall in the state in 2008.
State University System of Florida
In October 2008, John Delaney was named interim chancellor of the State University System of FloridaState University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
. He took over for Mark B. Rosenberg
Mark B. Rosenberg
Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg is the president of Florida International University and former Chancellor of the State University System of Florida. He was first appointed as chancellor in November 2005, following the passage of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Florida that mandated the...
who had resigned to return to Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
. He served for the 2009 legislative session, and was not paid any compensation. In July 2009, Frank T. Brogan was named the new chancellor of the State University System.