John Delaney

Of Counsel

Jacksonville

John Delaney is the President of Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL. John joined The Fiorentino Group in 2018 and provides the firm with invaluable knowledge and expertise on issues relating to local, state and federal government. John has particular expertise in the areas of education, the environment, business relocations and economic development. John brings decades of experience working on some of Northeast Florida’s most successful policy initiatives, as well as close contacts and relationships with officials in Jacksonville, across the state of Florida, and throughout the nation.

John has served as mayor of Jacksonville, the 13th largest city in population and the largest in land area. He has served as president of a university, interim chancellor of the state university system, Jacksonville General Counsel, and the Chief Assistant State Attorney for Florida’s Fourth Circuit.

In 2003, John became the University of North Florida’s fifth president, managing a campus of 17,000 students, 600 faculty and 1,400 staff – the twentieth largest employer in Jacksonville. The 1,500-acre campus in Northeast Florida is considered an economic driver in the region, with an annual impact of nearly $1 billion. Under his direction, UNF nearly doubled the building space. John also served as UNF’s chief fundraiser, tripling the University’s privately funded endowment. The school’s last capital campaign was the region’s largest capital campaign ever. He also served as interim chancellor of the State University System of Florida during his time at UNF.

John served two terms as mayor of Jacksonville. During his tenure as mayor, John spearheaded numerous major initiatives, chief among them being The Better Jacksonville Plan, a $2.2 billion improvement plan that gave the city new public facilities and other amenities. John also created the Preservation Project, a massive land conservation program giving Jacksonville the distinction of having the largest park system in the United States. Prior to his role leading the city, John served as the chief assistant state attorney, the number two prosecutor for Northeast Florida, and as the general counsel for the City of Jacksonville.

In addition to his public service, John has also served on numerous non-profit and corporate boards, including Florida Rock Properties (NYSE), the Jacksonville Bank (NASDAQ) and Main Street America, a property and casualty mutual insurance company.

John and his wife Gena have four children and three grandchildren.