JCCI-lebrity Alert: Frank Denton
Our JCCI-lebrities series allows you a chance to get to know the real celebrities behind JCCI: our volunteers, speakers, & advocates! JCCI is an organization that works for and works with the community, so we couldn't do what we do without our JCCI-lebrities. We ask our JCCI-lebrites six questions in a street-style interview to put you in the know; think of it as your Jacksonville Star Watch!
Today, we're featuring Frank Denton from The Florida Times-Union, a JCCI supporter and recently became a JCCI-lebrity by sharing his story of building a better Jacksonville at our 39th Annual Meeting (Video from the meeting is now available on YouTube: Click here to watch).
Name: Frank Denton
Role with JCCI: Speaker and attendee
1. What do you do from 9-5?
Editor of The Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville.com
2. What do you do outside of work?
I take advantage of Jacksonville’s wonderful arts events, and I reboot by travelling a lot internationally, for fun and adventure.
3. How & when did you get involved with JCCI or JCCI Forward?
If you care about the community, how do you not become involved? When I first came to town five years ago, I was handed some JCCI reports and was impressed. People told me how lucky we are to have JCCI, when other cities can only ask for help . . . from our JCCI.
4. What is your favorite hidden gem in Jacksonville?
Our international flavor and texture – wonderful restaurants but also international food stores and fascinating people building their lives here after escaping other countries.
5. What community issue is on your radar that doesn’t get enough attention right now?
As I said in my talk at the JCCI Annual Meeting, it’s the desperate plight and dim future for many children in our inner city. So many people and organizations are working on our public education system, but we at the Times-Union are working hard to also raise and examine all the issues around the homes and neighborhoods that are not nurturing their – our! – children so they can take advantage of the education available. Call it the dropout-to-prison pipeline most succinctly, but it’s the whole set of economic, social, family and racial issues that are destroying too many of our children and holding our city back with law-enforcement and prison costs, constrained economic development, lessened public safety and lost souls.
6. Why is JCCI important to you and Jacksonville?
We have lots of resources in Jacksonville, but JCCI is unique in that it provides a credible framework for caring citizens to work together in a disciplined and responsible way to address the issues of our time and our town.
