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John Delaney Announces Retirement from UNF Presidency

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University of North Florida President John A. Delaney announced today he will be retiring from his current position at the end of his contract, May 30, 2018. Delaney is the longest serving president in UNF’s history.
“Over the past 14 years, I’ve had the honor of working with a truly remarkable team of people committed to providing the highest quality education to our students and to making our region stronger,” said Delaney. “Every time a student crosses the stage at commencement and I hand them their diploma, I recognize the life-changing impact UNF has made on them and the lives they will touch. The personal pride I have for each and every one of these students runs deep.”
“John’s leadership has propelled UNF beyond all expectations,” said Joy Korman, chair of the UNF Board of Trustees. “His accomplishments are far and wide, ranging from academic enhancements to community outreach. He always puts students first.”
Since being selected president by the UNF Board of Trustees in the summer of 2003, Delaney has made huge improvements to the University’s academic programs and the quality of students who graduate from the school:

  • The average high school GPA of incoming freshmen in fall 2003 was 3.6. This past fall, it was 4.17. The average high school SAT score of incoming freshmen in fall 2003 was 1145. This past fall, it was 1208. UNF is now the third most competitive among Florida public universities, attracting some of the brightest students from the state and beyond.
  • Diversity in the student body is up 63 percent from 2003.
  • The number of doctoral degrees awarded has increased 76 percent.
  • There were only 37 accredited programs in 2003. Now there are 54, a 46 percent increase.
  • Many of UNF’s signature programs are being nationally recognized including Nursing, International Business, Music, Transportation & Logistics, Coastal Biology and Nutrition & Dietetics.
  • In 2009, UNF acquired MOCA, providing new opportunities for UNF students and giving UNF a strong downtown presence.
  • Thanks to an increase in scholarships supporting global experiences, UNF students now study abroad at twice the national average.
  • Since 2003, overall enrollment has increased 14 percent, to 15,985.
  • When he retires from the presidency, Delaney will have awarded 55 percent (52,544) of the 95,459 total UNF degrees granted since the university opened in 1972.
  • UNF’s graduation rate is 24 percent higher than the national average.
  • UNF has the sixth highest graduation rate among public, urban regional universities in the entire nation.
  • UNF tops the schools in the State University System when it comes to graduates being employed in Florida.
  • A quarter of UNF alums earn more than $49,400 in their first year.
  • The average salary of a UNF alum 10 years after graduation is 23 percent above the national average.

Under Delaney’s leadership, the campus has undergone the biggest expansion in its history:

  • The building space on the campus is 168 percent larger than when Delaney first became president. That’s an increase of two million square feet of labs, classrooms and other spaces.
  • The campus was 1,121 acres in 2003. Because of campus expansion and the donation of wetlands for research, the campus is now 2,431 acres, a 116 percent increase.
  • Since 2003, 13 new or renovated buildings have received the prestigious LEED certification for green construction, including the Social Sciences Building, Osprey Fountains, Tom and Betty Petway Hall, the Biological Sciences Building, the Student Union and the Student Wellness Complex.
  • Newly constructed buildings have won prestigious awards.  The Biological Sciences Building is ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 9 in the world for most impressive environmentally friendly university building.
  • Since 2003, the University has acquired five major buildings from private companies, including those now known as Alumni Hall and Ann and David Hicks Hall.
  • Since 2003, Delaney has secured $187 million in construction funding from the state.

Since 2003, President Delaney has also dramatically increased UNF’s regional and national recognition:

  • In 2003, UNF had one national ranking. UNF now has 11 national rankings.
  • Organizations such as U.S. News and World Report, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and Princeton Review have cited UNF every year for nearly a decade for providing a quality education at an affordable price.
  • UNF received the prestigious Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation. The classification is given to institutions committed to providing leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement, as well as programs promoting civic engagement.
  • An estimated 18 million viewers tuned in to watch UNF play host to the 2012 CNN Presidential Debate. In addition to the debate itself, the publicity before and after boosted UNF’s profile across the nation.

Delaney is UNF’s chief fundraiser:

  • Nearly $250 million has been raised since 2003.
  • The endowment has grown to $100 million, two and a half times what it was in 2003.
  • Delaney secured 28 leadership gifts and commitments of $1 million or more, including significant donations from George Hodges, Brooks Rehabilitation and David and Ann Hicks, a UNF alumnae. These fundraising successes led to the naming of the Brooks College of Health and the creation of UNF’s sixth college, the Hicks Honors College.
  • Delaney led the most successful capital campaign in Northeast Florida, the Power of Transformationcampaign, which exceeded its goal, raising more than $130 million for the University. The campaign was publicly launched in 2009, in the middle of the recession, with an ambitious goal of $110 million.

President Delaney has made UNF an economic driver in the region and been a leader in the state:

  • UNF now has an annual economic impact of more than $1 billion.
  • In 2015, Delaney served as chair of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the organization charged with leading economic growth in the region.
  • He helped create and is a board member of the Jacksonville Civic Council, an organization focusing on defining Jacksonville’s future.
  • Delaney is the past president of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, an organization representing 70 private and public institutions.
  • He was tapped to serve as the interim chancellor of the State University System from 2008-09, while the State Board of Governors conducted a search.

President Delaney has created a student-focused campus:

  • He led the smooth transition to NCAA Division I athletics beginning in 2005. North Florida advanced to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2015.
  • Nearly 4,000 students now live on campus, transforming UNF into a traditional college setting.
  • He created programs and services to assist special populations including the LGBT Resource Center, the Military and Veterans Resource Center and the Disability Resource Center.

President Delaney has worked hard to ensure hallmarks of a UNF education remain intact:

  • In 2003, the student-to-faculty ratio was 22:1. It is currently 19:1, giving UNF students the advantage of individualized attention.
  • The average class size at UNF is still only 32 students.

Delaney’s contract allows him to lead a center at UNF following his retirement as president. He has not yet decided if he will pursue that option or other opportunities.
This spring, the UNF Board of Trustees will discuss the search process for a new president.
Delaney served as mayor of Jacksonville from 1995 to 2003, leaving office due to term limits. During his time at City Hall, Delaney is credited with launching The Better Jacksonville Plan and the Preservation Project. His approval rating reached 90 percent, with support from both political parties.
Delaney received both a bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Florida. He and his wife Gena have four children and helped raise a niece and a nephew. In addition, they have three grandchildren.
The University of North Florida is a public university 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. UNF has six colleges, which offer 55 undergraduate degree programs and 35 graduate degree programs. The University is located on an environmentally beautiful campus, which includes a nature preserve.

Environmental Groups Announce Lawsuit Against World’s Second Largest Chicken Producer for Illegal Pollution of Suwannee River

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WHAT: Members of the citizen-based environmental groups Environment Florida and the Sierra Club (Suwannee-St Johns Group) will be joined by their attorneys to announce the filing of the groups’ federal lawsuit to stop violations of the Clean Water Act that are polluting one of Florida’s Outstanding Waters, the Suwannee River. The groups will describe the poultry processing facility’s alleged violations and speak about the pollution’s effect on the Suwannee River.
WHO: 
Jennifer Rubiello, Environment Florida Director
Whitey Markle, Chair of the Sierra Club Suwannee-St Johns Group
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Sierra Club Organizing Representative
Heather Govern, Attorney, National Environmental Law Center
Andrew Bonderud, Attorney
WHEN: Wednesday, March 1, 2017 – 10:00 am
WHERE: In front of the Hogan Street entrance of the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse (Jacksonville’s Federal Courthouse)
300 N Hogan St, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Op-Ed: By Working Together, Northwest Florida Has Chance for Brighter Future

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By Bryan Parker 

One region, one voice. One united goal.

Bryan Parker
Bryan Parker

When millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico in the country’s worst environmental disaster, Northwest Florida was devastated. It was an overwhelming punch to the gut for the people and economy of our region.

Now, seven years later, that heartbreak can be replaced by opportunity. It’s up to us to work together, as a unified region, to make sure it becomes a reality.

A $300 million payment from BP, a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, is a first step to help Northwest Florida recover and rebuild stronger than ever. We are all grateful that Florida’s legislative leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to steer the promised funds to our region this year – but we also know that nothing is truly done until the ink is dry. 

There is much work ahead to secure these initial funds for Northwest Florida and the remaining $1.2 billion in the future, and to guarantee that decisions related to how the money is allocated are made by Northwest Floridians. We all believe that Northwest Florida is most successful when it has the authority to determine its own economic future. 

Northwest Florida economic development advocates have long known that the entire region benefits most from working together – one region, one voice – to attract more jobs, training and business opportunities. Whether it’s launching a job-training program at a local college, winning a federal grant or drawing an entire industry to the area, those unified efforts create positive impacts that ripple across all of Florida. 

The anchors of the Northwest Florida economy historically have been tourism and the military, but this new money will help our region build beyond our traditional economic engines to create a more diverse economy and job base. Tens of thousands of area residents will see their lives, and their communities, transformed. 

Florida’s Great Northwest, the economic development organization representing the entire region, has worked with more than 860 of the region’s business, government and community leaders to develop a regional strategy that identifies the most promising opportunities for transformative economic growth in the region. Our hope is that the regional strategy will serve as the framework for prioritizing projects and allocating resources across the region. 

Our wonderful corner of Florida is blessed with so many natural jewels, from our incomparable beaches and emerald-green water to spectacular rivers and forests. Add the hard-working spirit of our residents and the incredible talent and technology associated with our many military installations and private sector businesses, and you have a recipe for economic vitality and prosperity. 

The BP money gives us the means to diversify and develop hubs of business and industry; train a modern workforce that will attract companies with higher wages and stable jobs; establish a state-of-the-art economic infrastructure that connects communities throughout our region; encourage innovative ideas to become reality; and build stronger communities. 

Northwest Florida’s state lawmakers are working together on this, recognizing the importance of ensuring that this money goes to critical short-term and long-term efforts. Together, our region will use the funds as the impetus to create new and wide-ranging opportunities – ones that will make Northwest Florida appealing to a whole new generation of creative, talented and hard-working citizens.

Where tar balls once blotted our sugar-white beaches, wiping out jobs and our economy, we now have the opportunity to help boost education and training, business competitiveness, infrastructure, innovation and placemaking strategies that will benefit everyone. 

We’re all in this together. Unified, we can ensure a much brighter picture for Northwest Florida.

Bryan Parker is Economic Development Representative for PowerSouth Energy, where he directs the company’s economic and community development initiatives in Northwest Florida. He is a member of the Executive Board of Florida’s Great Northwest and serves as chairman of the organization’s Advocacy Committee.

Senate President Pro Tempore Files Legislation to Cut Cell Phone and TV Tax

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Senate Bill 378 eliminates narrow corporate subsidy, instead providing
dollar-for-dollar tax relief for Florida’s families and businesses

Senate President Pro Tempore Anitere Flores (R-Miami, Monroe) today filed Senate Bill 378, which repeals the insurance premium tax credit and replaces it with a two percent reduction in the communications services tax (CST).
“Florida’s CST is one of the highest in the nation. In 2015, we made great progress by permanently reducing Florida’s CST by 1.73 percent. This year, we can reduce this burdensome tax even further and provide additional monthly savings to every Floridian with a cell phone or cable or satellite TV,” said President Pro Tempore Flores.
Since 1987, Florida has provided a tax credit that insurance companies can take against their premium tax liability of up to 15 percent of salaries paid to employees located or based within Florida. The same benefit is not provided for other industries.
“When originally put in place thirty years ago, this taxpayer-funded subsidy for insurance companies was well intentioned, but times have changed and we need to reprioritize,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart). “We can take the revenue we save from eliminating a tax credit that only benefits one industry and use it to provide a meaningful, monthly, and permanent tax cut for Florida’s families and businesses.”
“This bill will rid our state of an antiquated government subsidy for a specific industry, and instead keep more money in the pockets of the hard-working Floridians who earn it,” continued President Pro Tempore Flores. “This tax relief package continues our commitment to reducing the tax burden facing Florida families and businesses. Reducing taxes leads to private sector job creation and a flourishing economy that benefits all Floridians.”
“As Florida’s economy grows, we must continue to search for ways to reduce the tax burden on families and businesses across our state,” continued President Negron. “In recent years, we have lowered vehicle registration fees, providing a recurring tax cut for every Floridian who registers a car. This year we want to continue our efforts by providing additional tax relief for every Floridian with a cell phone or cable or satellite television. As just one component of a comprehensive tax relief package, this proposal alone could provide $300 million in recurring tax relief for families and businesses in addition to the significant savings generated by proposals advocated by Governor Scott and options filed in the Senate and the House.”

Create and Share Child Hand Artwork for Children’s Week “Give Us a Hand” Campaign

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While teachers and families begin to enjoy the spring season here in Florida, they are encouraged to involve their young students and children in an art project that will create an impact on lawmakers in March. Children’s Week’s “Give Us a Hand” campaign asks children throughout Florida to send decorated paper cut-outs of their hands to Children’s Week organizers, who will put them on display inside the Capitol rotunda from March 26-31. Children may include their name on their artwork along with a message to legislators.Childrens Week

The hand artwork is meant to convey a message to lawmakers – to “give us a hand” during the upcoming legislative session on funding and policy decisions that promote the health, safety and well-being of children in Florida. Last year, more than 100,000 paper hand cut-outs were collected and transformed into an impactful exhibition. 

“The hands show decision makers a visual representation of the vast number of children their decisions affect. We hope that legislators will see the thousands of hands – see the personalization of each one – and envision the children who made them,” said Jason Zaborske, statewide coordinator for Children’s Week.

To have your students’ or child’s artwork displayed in the Capitol rotunda during Children’s Week, it must be postmarked by March 10 and sent to the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region c/o Children’s Week, 2639 N. Monroe St. Building C, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Alternatively, you may contact your local coordinator through the Children’s Week website and they will see all submissions turned in to them are received. You can also share photos of their artwork on social media using the hashtag #GiveUsAHand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from now until March 23; everyone who shares a photo will be entered to win one of three prizes for best individual hand art, best group piece and most creative. 

The Hanging of the Hands ceremony is the hallmark of Children’s Week – an annual weeklong celebration at the Capitol which serves as a platform for numerous organizations to advocate for children and family issues to Florida lawmakers. Many of the organizations participating in Children’s Week also will hold local events leading up to Children’s Week at the Capitol. 

In addition to the Hanging of the Hands ceremony on March 26, various events and activities are scheduled to take place during Children’s Week, including an interactive storybook village for children; free distribution of breakfast, lunch and children’s books; an awards ceremony; workshops; town hall meetings; and more. Thousands of educators, students and families are expected to attend. 

For more information about Children’s Week and events in your community, visit www.ChildrensWeek.org For hand artwork instructions, visit http://childrensweek.org/art/.

FDLE awards tipster with $10,000

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FDLE today awarded $10,000 to the anonymous tipster who notified local law enforcement and provided the location of fugitives Boyette and Rice, who were subsequently apprehended by law enforcement.
A killing spree across multiple states, including Florida, ended in Georgia on February 7 when William Boyette committed suicide and Mary Rice was arrested. The tipster had just seen a Facebook post with Boyette and Rice’s photos, as well as the tag number of the vehicle they were driving, when the tipster spotted the car and Rice at a convenience store. After the tag number of the car was verified, the tip was called in to law enforcement describing the location where the fugitives had been spotted. FDLE was informed on February 10 of a person wishing to claim the reward and has been working since to make sure it is awarded.
“It was very important to FDLE that this tipster receive the reward we had contributed. It certainly is well-deserved, because I firmly believe more lives could have been lost if these fugitives remained on the run,” said Jack Massey, Special Agent in Charge at FDLE’s Pensacola Regional Operations Center. “Due to the awareness and dedication of this citizen, who spotted them and took immediate action to report it, a murderous threat to the community was removed. Awarding this individual is the right thing to do.”
He added, “We all play a role in keeping our communities safe. Please report suspicious activity. ‘If you see something, say something.™’ It may well save innocent lives.”

UWF launches free online course highlighting research in the Gulf

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Beginning this March, the University of West Florida’s Innovation Institute will launch the first in a series of free online courses that focus on UWF research in the Gulf of Mexico.
“This course allows us to share some of the outstanding work of our faculty with the rest of the world,” UWF President Martha Saunders said. “The Gulf of Mexico is arguably the most important body of water in the Western Hemisphere. MMO 101 provides a peek at its impact on us all.”
The series, titled “Gulf Stories,” opens with “Mother Mother Ocean” (MMO 101). This first course highlights the work of five UWF scholar researchers and touches on everything from history and archaeology to the economy to the environment.
“We’re so pleased to be able to recognize the excellent work coming out of the University and to share that work with the public,” said Dr. Pam Northrup, CEO of the Innovation Institute and vice president of research and strategic innovation. “UWF’s location offers some truly unique opportunities for students and faculty to engage in historical and archaeological research, as well as research that directly addresses environmental and economic issues.”
Mother Mother Ocean consists of five modules of roughly two hours each, for a total time commitment of about 10 hours. Course modules include: Shipwrecks, Saints & Sinners: Maritime Stories of the Gulf; Lions in the Water: The Impact of the Environment on the Gulf Economy; Putting the Pieces Together: The Puzzles of the De Luna Expedition; The Ever-Changing Face of the Gulf Shore; and The $10,000 Pen and other Effects of Logistics on the Gulf.
MMO 101 launches March 6, 2017 and is open until April 16, 2017. For more information or to register, visit uwf.edu/gulfstories.

Broward County Schools to Serve Students 40,000 Pounds of Plant City Strawberries

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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that Broward County Public Schools will serve more than 40,000 pounds of Florida-grown strawberries to their students over the next two weeks. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Farm to School program facilitated the purchase from Sweet Life Farms in Plant City, Fla., which is owned and operated by Mark McDonald.image005
“By connecting Florida growers with nearby schools, we are teaching students that the nutrition they need to succeed in the classroom is grown right here in their backyards,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “I applaud Broward County Schools for their participation in the Farm to School program.”
The McDonald family has farmed berries and vegetables for more than four decades in Plant City, which is known as the “Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.” Sweet Life Farms adopted a “back to basics” approach to focus on high-quality repeat business. The family-owned farm produces blueberries, cantaloupes, mixed vegetables, strawberries and watermelons. In 2013, Sweet Life Farms received the Harvest Award.
The Farm to School program connects K-12 schools with Florida farmers and growers to provide locally grown produce to students during school meals. Since 2015, the Farm to School program has facilitated the purchase of more than 590,000 pounds of fresh, seasonal produce to Florida schools through opportunity buys.
The Farm to School program positively impacts local economies, reduces transportation costs and helps preserve farms and farmland. Producers interested in providing fresh fruit and vegetables to local schools should contact Beth Spratt at 850-617-7419 or [email protected].
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.

FWC announces final opportunity for municipalities, counties to apply for derelict vessel removal funds

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the final 2016/2017 opportunity to apply for derelict vessel removal funds. The application period began Feb. 8, 2017, and will run on a first-come, first-served basis. Approximately $399,000 in remaining derelict vessel removal funds are available to state, county and city governments. Applications received after April 30, 2017, will not be eligible for consideration. The Commission Derelict Vessel Final Removal Funding Opportunity Program application and guidelines may be downloaded at MyFWC.com/DVGrant.  
Funds for removal of derelict vessels that meet the requirements may be applied for at any time during this opportunity period. Applications will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until all available funds have been expended or until April 30, 2017, whichever comes first. Applicants should call the FWC Boating and Waterways Section at 850-617-9540 to determine available funding before mailing or emailing an application.
Projects must be executed immediately upon receipt of an approved purchase order. Payment will be issued upon completion of the closeout requirements in the Commission Derelict Vessel Final Removal Funding Opportunity Program Guidelines.