West Word for 1/20/2010

By admindev • January 18, 2010

Richard A. Mullaney
General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville

Richard A. Mullaney is the General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville. After serving as Chief of Staff to former Mayor John Delaney, Mr. Mullaney was appointed General Counsel in 1997 and 1999 by Mayor Delaney and in 2003 and 2007 by Mayor John Peyton. Mr. Mullaney is Jacksonville’s longest serving General Counsel.

As General Counsel, Mr. Mullaney is the Chief Legal Officer for Jacksonville’s $4.5 billion a year consolidated government and is responsible for a 40 lawyer public law office. The General Counsel’s Office is one of the largest law firms in Jacksonville and represents all entities of Jacksonville’s consolidated government, including the Mayor and Executive Branch, City Council, 7 independent authorities, 5 constitutional officers, and over 50 Boards and Commissions.

Mr. Mullaney grew up in Jacksonville and attended the University of Florida, receiving a George Smathers debate scholarship and graduating Phi Beta Kappa and number one in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was named the Outstanding Scholar-Debater for the University of Florida. In law school at Florida, Mr. Mullaney was Executive Editor of the Law Review and received the Best Oralist Award from the Moot Court Team.
Upon graduation from law school, he practiced business litigation with the law firm of Carlton, Fields before joining the State Attorney’s Office.

Mr. Mullaney was a prosecutor for ten years. For his work in creating Florida’s first Repeat Offender Court for career criminals, creating the State Attorney Homicide Unit, lecturing nationally on violent crime, and improving the criminal justice system, Mr. Mullaney was named Prosecutor of the Year for the State of Florida.

While a prosecutor, Mr. Mullaney taught business law in the MBA program at the University of North Florda.

Mr. Mullaney joined the General Counsel’s Office in 1991 and has served as legal counsel to the Austin, Delaney and Peyton Administrations and Chief of Staff to the Delaney Administration. Mr. Mullaney was trial counsel on the Better Jacksonville Plan bond validation trial and Cecil Field referendum, appellate counsel on the School District’s high school graduation prayer case, and played a leading role in the creation of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC), Preservation Project and the Better Jacksonville Plan. As General Counsel, he has issued ten Binding Legal Opinions, with Opinions on competitive bidding, collective bargaining, zoning, land use, and the authority of the Council Auditor and Mayor.

In 2003, Mr. Mullaney was named Lawyer of the Year for the City of Jacksonville at the Jacksonville Bar Association annual meeting. Subsequently, as Chairman of Jacksonville’s Telecommunications Master Task Force, Mr. Mullaney received IT Florida’s statewide award for innovation in technology and received the Good Government Award from the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville.

Mr. Mullaney is Chairman of the St. Vincent’s Healthcare Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of St. Vincent’s Healthcare System, Gateway Community Services, Preservation Project North Florida and the ALS Regional Council. He is a member of Leadership Jacksonville (1988) and Leadership Florida (2001).

Mr. Mullaney is married and lives in Jacksonville with his wife, Lynn, and their three children, Taylor, Richie, and Katie.

Notes
President Runion opened the meeting asking Rupert Bliss to give the invocation and Scott Hudson to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Terry Vereen asked for volunteers to assist with the Highway Clean Up Project to be held either 1/30/10 or 2/06/10.

Marshall Butler reminded everyone that the Clay Shoot will be held 4/22/2010.

Everyone was reminded about the Blood Mobile outside and that they should give blood.

Terry Bahn asked for help at the Sulzbacher Center on January 23, 2010 from 8:30 until 11:30. Cooks and Servers are needed.

Bill Scheu reminded every one that the club will be meeting at the Downtown Public Library for the 2/17/2010 meeting. There will be no meeting at the Holiday Inn.

President Runion about the Rotary Leadership Training on 2/06/2010. Please sign up.

Everyone wishing to give through Rotary International to HAITI Earthquake Assistance should go the site on the club web page.

Marty Sack recognized those events for members through the “Family of Rotary Presentation”.

Special Quest Recognition of Kevin Crisp by father Dale Crisp.

Tom Watson with the assistance Ed Pratt Danels recognized the Teacher of the Year - John Garman and presented him with a $100 Gift Card. With the caveat that this money could only be used for himself.

Barry Allred introduced our guest speaker Dr. Wallace of Florida State College Jacksonville. Dr. Wallace shared the history of FSCJ from its beginning through FCCJ to its present status. Not only does it have campuses in the Jacksonville Area, it has campuses in Chicago and Pensecola. The college offered Associate and Technical Degrees and now it offers seven Bachelor Degrees. FSCJ offers three levels of education now. Degree Education, Career Oriented Technical and Community Education. FSCJ wishes to provide education to anyone who wishes to enter and has step up programs for higher education. The school also met with many business leaders to structure programs to meeting the business needs in the area.

Visiting Rotarians
John Noseworthy — Wilmington, DE
Marcus Drewa — South Jax

Rotary Guests
John Garman — Guest of club (Teacher of the Quarter, Matthew Gilbert School)
Evan Daniels — Guest of club (Principal, Matthew Gilbert School)
Hank Duckworth — Guest of Frank Surface
Joanne Hickox — Guest of Doug Milne
Amanda Springer — Guest of Joe Springer
Christine Sanders — Guest of Ike Sherlock
Kevin Crisp (home from Iraq mid-tour) — Guest of Dale Crisp
Joe Baker — Guest of Phil Voss
Katie Horovitz — Guest of Joe Eberly
Mark Myers — Guest of John McCorvey

Birthdays
Alberta Hipps — January 19
Wright Hollingsworth — January 20
Jim Overton — January 20

Next Meeting - January 27, 2010
Speaker: Jack Sears, Boy Scouts of America Executive
Greeters: John Barley and Vince McCormack
Invocation: John Morrett
Pledge: Tom Kustura
Four-Way Test: David Barksdale

Quick Links:
You can now report make-ups online. FIXED!

Submit “Family of Rotary” information online.

Please review the 2009 - 2010 Duty Roster and mark your calendar with your responsibilities for the upcoming year.