JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Chief Administrative Officer Karen Bowling is stepping down from her role, effective Oct. 24, the Mayor’s Office announced Friday.
“Karen has decided to step down from her role as the City of Jacksonville’s Chief Administrative Officer effective October 24,” the statement from the mayor reads. “I’m truly grateful for her many years of service. Karen laid the foundation for our administration. She built an incredible team who smoothly transitioned us into office and made significant progress for Jacksonville. We wish her the best now and in the future.”
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Kelli O’Leary will continue in her role and lead executive branch departments with support from Chief of Staff Mike Weinstein. The Mayor’s Office said it will evaluate additional staffing needs after the holidays.
Bowling previously served as director of entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of North Florida. She was also the city’s CAO under former Mayor Alvin Brown, CEO of an urgent care clinic network, and a health care executive.
Jacksonville City Council member Rahman Johnson commented on Bowling’s resignation, saying, “Just one week after the passage of the most contentious budget in Jacksonville’s history, the city is experiencing a significant transition with the resignation of Chief Administrative Officer Karen Bowling.
“Karen Bowling’s leadership came during a time of extraordinary challenge, including the recent budget process that tested the limits of this city’s resolve. Through it all, Karen demonstrated the steadiness and professionalism that has defined her career.
“I have known Karen not only as a friend, but as a colleague whose reputation for excellence preceded her,” Johnson continued. “She was a history maker, the first woman to hold the position of CAO, and she did so with intelligence, sophistication, and a clear command of the issues before her.”
Council member Ron Salem also issued a statement Friday:
“I want to thank my friend and colleague, Karen Bowling, for her years of service as Chief Administrative Officer. Karen and I have had a great working relationship. She is an effective communicator and a competent administrator. I wish her nothing but the best in this next chapter.”
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