JACKSONVILLE, FL. – Jacksonville City Council approved Mayor Lenny Curry’s nomination of Aundra Wallace to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) Board of Directors at its February 22, 2022 meeting.
Wallace is President of the JAXUSA Partnership, the seven-county regional economic development division of the JAX Chamber.
“Aundra Wallace has worked tirelessly to recruit jobs to Jacksonville and to enhance the quality of life in our community through his service at JAXUSA Partnership and previously with the DIA,” said JTA Chief Executive Officer Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. “His decades of economic and workforce development experience will further enhance the work of the JTA Board of Directors as it navigates the Authority’s strategic future.”
“Nat and his team are nationally recognized for their innovative work and JTA is making a huge difference in our community,” Wallace said. “I thank Mayor Curry and the City Council for this appointment and I look forward to getting to work on the JTA Board.”
“It is a pleasure to welcome Aundra to the JTA Board during one of the most transformative times in our agency’s history,” said JTA Board Chair Ari Jolly. “Aundra cares deeply for the community and understands the important role safe, reliable and sustainable public transportation has in making Jacksonville a better place to live, work and play. I look forward to working with him to advance the JTA’s mission and strategic vision.”
Prior to joining JAXUSA, Wallace served as CEO of the City of Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority, where he has directed economic development efforts in the city’s downtown, facilitating more than $150 million in public investment dollars that created more than $800 million in private capital investments during his tenure.
A leader in managing community, housing and economic development initiatives throughout his career, Wallace has held similar leadership positions for agencies in Detroit, Miami and the state of North Carolina. Throughout his career, he has managed more than $650 million in equity, grants, loans and tax-exempt bonding capacity, in addition to creating and/or retaining 9,500 direct jobs. He is a Certified Housing Development Finance Professional and a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Georgia Southern University.
About the JTA Board of Directors
The JTA Board of Directors comprises seven members. Three members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate, three members are appointed by Jacksonville's Mayor and confirmed by the City Council, and the seventh member is the District Two Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Members serve a four-year term with the exception of the FDOT Secretary who serves the length of his/her employment in that position and can be re-appointed for an additional four years. The board members of the JTA are not entitled to compensation but are reimbursed for travel and other expenses actually incurred in their duties as provided by law.
The JTA Board: