Transition Co-Chairs

Lakesha Burton is a retired JSO Assistant Chief and former candidate for Jacksonville Sheriff. She currently serves as the Crime & Safety analyst for WJXT4. She’s a retired 24-year veteran police officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, where she rose through the ranks to become the first woman to be Executive Director of the Police Athletic League and the 4th African American woman in JSO history to become an Assistant Chief. Burton is widely known for boldly sharing her life’s story of resilience, tenacity, and determination to help empower other girls and women with hope for their futures. In honor of her twin sister, she founded "Tesha's Hands," a 501C3 nonprofit that supports special needs students, underprivileged families, and caregivers who lost a child to senseless violence.

Mayor John Delaney served as Mayor from 1995 to 2003, during which time he spearheaded the $2.5 billion Better Jacksonville Plan, which gave the city new infrastructure, parks, and buildings. He also created the Preservation Project, a 100 square mile park system, the largest of its kind for a city in the country. He currently serves as the President of Flagler College in St. Augustine. Previously, Mayor Delaney served as the University of North Florida President, Jacksonville General Counsel and the Chief Assistant State Attorney for Florida’s Fourth Circuit.

Kevin Gay founded Operation New Hope and led the organization as CEO from 1999-2022. Under his 23 years of stewardship, Operation New Hope helped more than 10,000 individuals impacted by the criminal justice system successfully reconnect to the workforce. Four Presidential administrations have sought out his expertise and model program. Kevin was named Ultimate CEO by the Jacksonville Business Journal and received the OneJax Humanitarian Award, in addition to many more state, national, and international awards for his work.

Sheriff Nat Glover rose through the ranks of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and was elected as the first Black Sheriff elected in Florida since the reconstruction era. In 2021, he was inducted into the Florida Law Enforcement Officers' Hall of Fame. Sheriff Glover was a mayoral candidate and served as the President of Edward Waters College, Florida’s first institution established for the education of African Americans. He is also a champion for children having served on boards for the New Town Success Zone, Tiger Academy, The Bridge of Northeast Florida and Take Stock in Children.

David Miller is the co-founder and executive chairman of Brightway Insurance, one of the largest property and casualty insurance agencies in the country. David served as the Emerald Trail Co-Champion, worked with local leaders on LiftJax, and founded OurJax. He is a longtime supporter of the United Way of Northeast Florida and has served on a number of boards including OneJax, Leadership Jacksonville, JAX Chamber, Jacksonville Civic Council, and Jewish Community Alliance. When Jacksonville experienced a surge in hate speech, David launched the Together Strong Community Fund with a $1 million donation to combat antisemitism and bias.

Darnell Smith plays an active role in the health of Jacksonville as the North Florida Market President at Florida Blue. Darnell has served on boards of the Sulzbacher Center, Communities in Schools of Florida, the Florida Blue Foundation, Cathedral Arts Project, YMCA of Florida’s First Coast, and JAX Chamber. He also was on the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Commission on Progress, works with LiftJax to eradicate poverty in Jacksonville's Eastside, and is passionate about mentoring youth.