Lex Hester Memorial Scholarship Review Committee

The Lex Hester Memorial Scholarship Review Committee was created by Ordinance 2002-671-E and Executive Order 2018-03 in memory of former City of Jacksonville Chief Administrative Officer, Lewis Alexander (Lex) Hester. The committee is charged with disbursing funds from the interest earned on the trust fund account to deserving and qualified University of North Florida students seeking careers in public administration. The Lex Hester Endowed Fellowship for Public Administration is a competitive award to an outstanding student in the University of North Florida MPA program. The scholarship is posted at https://www.unf.edu/coas/pspa/MPA/Scholarships.aspx.
 

Committee Members

  • Dr. Charles Moreland, Director of Community Affairs, City of Jacksonville - chair
  • Kristen Reed, Chief of Community Planning, Planning & Development Department, City of Jacksonville - vice chair
  • Tracey Hester Flynn, Hester family member
  • Joshua Gideon, Chief of Building Inspection Division, Planning & Development Department, City of Jacksonville
  • Frederick Sumter, Construction Project Manger, Public Works Department
  • Vacant, Public Administration Program, University of North Florida
  • Sarah Schmidt, Strategic Partnerships Coordinator, City of Jacksonville
Committee Staff: Tina Thompson, (904) 255-5004, TinaT@coj.net 

Committee Member Contact Information

Meeting Information

Meeting Date

Documents
August 29, 2022 08-29-22 Notice; 08-29-22 Agenda; 08-29-22 Minutes
January 12, 2022 01-12-22 Notice; 01-12-22 Agenda; 01-12-22 Minutes
July 13, 2021 07-13-21 Notice, 07-13-21 Agenda & Minutes
Nov. 22, 2019 11-22-19 Notice, 11-22-19 Agenda & Minutes
April 10, 2019 4-10-19 Notice, 4-10-19 Agenda & Minutes
Jan. 25, 2019 1-25-19 Notice, 1-25-19 Agenda & Minutes
Oct. 23, 2018 10-23-18 Notice, 10-23-18 Agenda & Minutes

Scholarship Application Process

To be eligible for the scholarship, all applicants must complete the online form, including an essay response to the provided questions and a letter of recommendation. All submissions will be evaluated by the Lex Hester Memorial Scholarship Review Committee, who will provide award recommendations to the Mayor. The scholarship must be used for tuition and fee expenses only for the Master of Public Administration Program at the University of North Florida. There will be no reimbursement of residual funds.

Requirements

The following criteria shall be used in evaluating candidates for Scholarship awards (Executive Order No. 2018-03):
  • Submission of a complete and timely application from applicants seeking an award.
  • Current residence in Duval County.
  • Acceptance into, or current enrollment in, the Master of Public Administration Program at the University of North Florida.
  • A 3.0 GPA or higher as an undergraduate student or as a current graduate student.
  • Submission of responses (in essay form) to written questions, including: Why the course of study was chosen; why public service is important; why public administration studies are important; why the Scholarship is important.

Scholarship Application

Lex Hester Memorial Scholarship Online Application

Applicant Information
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Check the box to confirm that you are a resident of Duval County.
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Check the box if you intend to pursue a career in public administration and agree to provide proof of enrollment in the UNF MPA program should your scholarship application be approved.
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Reference 1
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Reference 2
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Essay
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Upload a written response in essay format (.doc, .docx, or .pdf) between 500 and 1,000 words to the following questions:

1) Why did you choose this course of study?
2) Why is public service important?
3) Why are public administration studies important?
4) Why is the Scholarship important?
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By checking this box, the applicant authorizes the City of Jacksonville the permission to verify all information included in this application, including GPA and residency information. Applicants who refuse to grant information confirmation access to the City of Jacksonville will be ineligible.