JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Councilman Kevin Carrico is leaving his day job.
Carrico, who has served as the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, is leaving the nonprofit organization.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
He gave Action News Jax’s Ben Becker the following statement about his “next chapter”:
“It has been one of the great privileges of my professional life to support the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida and the young people and families it serves. After more than a decade with the organization, I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together, grateful for the relationships built along the way and confident the Club will continue changing lives throughout Northeast Florida. As I begin my next chapter, I’m excited to build something new and look forward to sharing more in the coming days.”
RELATED: Jacksonville City Council President under scrutiny as employer receives millions in city grants
Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida issued the following statement:
“Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida (BGCNF) announced today that Kevin Carrico, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, has stepped down from his role with the organization following more than 10 years of service.
“‘We appreciate Kevin’s service and contributions to Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida and wish him and his family well in this next chapter,’ said Blake Wilson, Chairman of BGCNF’s Board of Governors. ‘Our focus has always been, and continues to be, on the young people and families we serve. On average, BGCNF serves nearly 15,000 registered members annually across 55 locations. That work is possible because of an extraordinary team and a community of donors, volunteers, and partners committed to helping young people reach their full potential and build great futures.’”
Carrico’s ‘big favor’ text about his boss
Action News Jax told you in February when Carrico sponsored a resolution to appoint Paul Martinez, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, to the JEA Board of Directors.
We first reported in October the Boys & Girls Clubs receive millions of dollars in city grants from children’s agency Kids Hope Alliance.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
In November, we discovered ties between Carrico, the Boys & Girls Clubs, former City Council Finance Chair Raul Arias, and a local company that did work for BGC and briefly held a city contract with KHA.
We also told you in February when Becker obtained a text exchange between Carrico and current JEA board member Arthur Adams that appeared to show Carrico removing the sitting board member to repay what Carrico called a “big favor” to his boss, Martinez.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Later that month, Martinez withdrew from consideration for JEA board after Carrico’s text exchange with Adams was revealed.
That text exchange triggered a criminal investigation by the State Attorney’s Office. In the midst of that, Carrico, who was then City Council President, started a council investigation into accusations of a toxic work culture and racism at the utility.
A target of that inquiry was JEA CEO Vickie Cavey. She resigned her post earlier this month.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
