Board and Management

Appointed on April 14, 2020
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Retired)
Chair, Board of Directors

Joe DiSalvo has over 30 years as a strategic leader who built trust, initiative, innovation, integrity, core values, and accountability in organizations ranging from 850 to 65,000 personnel. His passion is leading and inspiring individuals and organizations to excel and impact positively on society. He is exceptionally experienced interacting with U.S. federal government agencies, congress, and international governments (14 years working abroad). Joe currently provides consulting services focused on leader development, strategic planning, team building, business development and crisis management. Joe is on the Board of Advisors for TCOM L.P. and Advanced Technology International, on the Board of Directors for JEA, on the Riverside United Methodist Board of Trustees, and is a Distinguished Professor of Practice for Leadership at Carolina University.

Joe graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree, he has a Masters in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Masters of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. 

Joe’s military career culminated as the U.S. Southern Command’s Deputy Commanding General, as a Lieutenant General, from 2015-2018, where he was responsible for security cooperation with militaries from Central America, Caribbean, and South America. From 2013 to 2015 as a Major General, he commanded the U.S. 6 th Army where he was responsible for partnering, advising, and mentoring senior army leaders from Central America, Caribbean, and South America. From 2012 to 2013 Joe was Chief of Staff, U.S. Southern Command where he led nine directorates and oversaw a $1,062M budget. 

Joe was Deputy Commanding General of III U.S. Army Corps from 2010 to 2012 where he oversaw the tactical training, operations, and quality of life for 35,000 Soldiers and their families in Fort Hood, Texas. Additionally, as a Brigadier General, he was also the Corps Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2010 where he supervised eight directorates and managed a $500M budget. 

While assigned to the Pentagon, from 2008-2009 he was the senior advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Western Hemisphere security and Homeland Defense. As a Colonel, in 2006-2007 Joe was the lead Iraq campaign policy analyst for the Joint Staff. From 2003-2006 he commanded 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, which included two combat tours. 

Joe is married with three grown children. He is a military history enthusiast and enjoys all sports, especially road racing (running). 

Appointed on September 28, 2021
President and CEO, Morales Construction Co. Inc.
Vice Chair, Board of Directors

Ricardo "Rick" Morales III leads operations at Morales Construction, a design/build general contracting company specializing in estate custom homes in Northeast Florida. He has more than 35 years of experience in all phases of construction, including financial management, field supervision, project management, estimating, project development and executive management.

Morales started his career as an estimator for Atlantic Constructors, a division of Patterson Enterprises, in 1985. In 1987, he joined Morales Construction Co., becoming president of the company in 1995. 

Morales is active in numerous business and charitable organizations. He was appointed to the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001 and 2007, then reappointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2013 and served as its chairman from 2013 to 2015. Morales is a board member, PAC chairman and previous board president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association and is a director and past chairman of the Presidents Council for the Florida Home Builders Association.

Morales is a graduate of The Bolles School in Jacksonville and Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he received a bachelor's degree in finance.

Appointed on August 22, 2023
Chief Human Resources Officer, VyStar Credit Union
Secretary, Board of Directors

Kawanza Humphrey serves as chief human resources officer for VyStar Credit Union. In her role she is responsible for leading the credit union’s human resources efforts, including diversity, equity and inclusion, talent acquisition, employee relations, benefits, compensation, organizational performance, and development.

Humphrey has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry. Most recently, she served as the senior vice president of corporate responsibility for the Eastern Region of KeyBank. Prior to joining KeyBank, upon completion of HSBC’s Executive Development Program, she held several positions, including retail management.

She is passionate about community and economic development. In addition to her professional experience, Humphrey has volunteered with several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board of directors for the Sisters Hospital Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation’s Program Committee. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and The Links Inc. She has been named to Buffalo Business First’s Power 200 Women and has been recognized as a Woman of Influence, a 40-under-40 recipient and a Black Achiever in Industry.

Humphrey earned a bachelor’s degree in English/African American Studies from the University at Buffalo and a master’s degree in Executive Leadership and Change from Daemen University. She is a Phi Beta Kappa.

Appointed on April 14, 2020
Executive Chairman & CEO, FRP Holdings, Inc.

Mr. Baker is currently Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FRP Holdings, Inc. (successor to Patriot Transportation Holding, Inc.), a real estate company located in Jacksonville, Florida. From February 2008 until October 2010, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Patriot. Before joining Patriot, Mr. Baker was President and Chief Executive Officer of Florida Rock Industries, Inc. 

Mr. Baker received a B.A. from Princeton University, and graduated with honors from the University of Florida School of Law. Mr. Baker is a director of Blue Water Industries Holdings, LLC and a senior advisor for Brinkmere Capital Partners, LLC, a private equity firm.  

Mr. Baker is a former member of the of the Board of Directors of Wells Fargo & Company, Jacksonville Port Authority, Progress Energy, Vulcan Materials and Hughes Supply. Mr. Baker maintains leadership roles in several community educational organizations including Tiger Academy, KIPP School Jacksonville, Edward Waters College and the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast.

Appointed on April 14, 2020
President & CEO, Edward Waters University

Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr. assumed responsibility as the 30th President and CEO of Edward Waters University (EWU) in July 2018 post a unanimous vote by the university's Board of Trustees. Just 37 years old at the time of his appointment, Faison’s selection as EWU’s leader made him the youngest serving President & CEO of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in America.  

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Faison’s career exploits include distinguished professional experiences as a higher education executive administrator, educator, and attorney. Before his Presidential appointment at EWU, Faison served as General Counsel & Vice President of External Affairs at Tuskegee University (TU) in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he maintained responsibility as the university’s chief legal officer and provided principal oversight for its legislative and governmental relations functions. Prior to his appointment at TU, he served as Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs at Virginia Union University (VUU) in Richmond, VA, where he led the university in achieving historic increases in overall student enrollment and retention having founded the VUU College for African-American Men (VCAAM). Dr. Faison also previously served as Special Assistant to the President for Legal & Legislative Affairs, Community Affairs, and Economic Development at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, MS, where he later became University Chief of Staff before being named Vice President of Institutional Advancement & Executive Director of the MVSU Foundation. Faison’s philanthropic work at MVSU yielded nearly $25 million dollars in funding to the university towards new capital projects, infrastructural improvements, and campus renovations. As a scholar-educator, Faison has held professorial appointments at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in various academic disciplines including Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Business Administration. A licensed member of the State Bar of Georgia, Faison is also a former state prosecutor having prosecuted criminal felony drug cases in Georgia.

Faison graduated Magna Cum Laude from Albany State University (ASU) with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English where he was an ASU Presidential & Foundation Scholar, Dwight D. Eisenhower National Fellow (US-DOT), and an ASU Velma Fudge Grant University Honors Program & Merit Scholar Graduate. He attended the University of Georgia School of Law (UGA) where he earned his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and was a member of the UGA School of Law Executive Moot Court Board & UGA Law Moot Court team. Faison completed post-doctoral study as a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management (IEM) and was a Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI) Institute Fellow of the American Association of State Colleges & Universities (AASCU) & Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Additionally, Faison holds the Certification in Fundraising Management (CFRM) designation from The Fundraising School of Philanthropy at Indiana-University-Purdue-University at Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Faison is active in several professional, civic, and social organizations and has delivered over 50 presentations and lectures at conferences and professional meetings nationwide. He currently serves as a member of the Jacksonville Civic Council, the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, the DW Perkins Bar Association, and is a trustee member of the Jacksonville Chamber. He has received national recognition for his outstanding professional, community and civic achievements from The Business Journals Influencers: Rising Stars 100; the Jacksonville Business Journal (Top 40 Business Leaders Under 40); the National Bar Association (Top 40 Attorneys Under 40); The University of Georgia (Top 40 Alumnus Under 40) and Albany State University (Top 50 Alumnus Under 50).    

He is the son of Alderman Faison, Sr. and Dr. Jewel J. Faison, and brother to Dr. Morgan Zacheya- Jewel Faison. Faison has been blissfully married for 12 years to Mrs. Tyciee L. Faison, who is also a seasoned higher education administrator, educator, and ordained minister.

Appointed on June 11, 2024
President, Hampton Golf

MG Orender began his career in 1974 at Diamond Hill Golf Club in Tampa, Florida. In 1976, he was asked to fill the position of Head Golf Professional. Over the next 15 years, he went through the ranks of Head Professional, Pro-Superintendent (Class “A” Superintendent Certification), Pro-Manager, and eventually General Partner at Diamond Hill.

During that time Mr. Orender was approached regularly to consult for new and existing projects and developed a reputation as a turn-around specialist for owners and banks. He consulted for several clients who eventually contracted with him to manage their facility.

Mr. Orender formed Golftrust in 1990 after selling Diamond Hill and proceeded to build and/or manage Timacuan Country Club, Orlando; Cypress Creek Golf Club, Tampa; Schalamar Creek, Lakeland; DeBary Plantation, Debary; Cypress Head, Daytona Beach; and Country Club of Mount Dora, Mt. Dora.

Realizing that small regional management firms were destined to be targets for consolidation, and the limitations of fee management, Mr. Orender joined forces with two capital venture specialists who had purchased a public shell and did a reverse merger of Golftrust into that shell to become Granite Golf. Since then Granite purchased COPM from Brassie (NASDAQ: PUTT) and as of Oct. 1, 1997, managed, leased, or owned 31 facilities in 11 states, of which four are under various stages of construction.

Mr. Orender served as president of Granite Golf Management Inc. until his formation of Hampton Golf in December 1998. Currently, he is the president of Hampton Golf, which owns and or manages 32 golf courses in Florida, New York, Ohio, Minnesota, and Tennessee. Hampton Golf also founded an HOA company that was sold in 2023 that managed over 30,000 rooftops, and a Lifestyles Division overseeing 13 community centers and lifestyle programing venues. Hampton Golf has grown to over 3,000 team members.

Mr. Orender has served as a court-appointed receiver in Central Florida and has worked for private individuals, private clubs, equity clubs, municipalities, CDDs, Home Owners Associations, Developers, Financial Institutions, and Corporations. Various courts have accepted him as an expert witness.

April 14, 2020: Appointed by Mayor Lenny Curry for partial term ending 2/28/21.
Feb. 28, 2023: Reappointed by City Council president for full term ending 2/28/25.

President, The Regency Group

Bobby Stein is President of The Regency Group, a family holding company. He has founded the successful investment and growth of many businesses in a wide variety of industry sectors including water, sewer and waste management, real estate, oil and gas, mortgage services, highway safety, technology, food services and healthcare. 
  

Bobby is a board member of Kerrco Inc. (Houston based oil and gas company), SDS (Pizza Hut franchisee), Acme (highway safety business), TL Canon (Applebee’s franchisee), and Welltality (healthcare solutions provider). He currently serves as Board Chairman of The Better Angels Society (Ken Burns foundation), and is the immediate past board chair for JEA. 

Past gubernatorial appointments include membership on the President’s Intelligence Advisor Board; former Chairman of the Defense Business Board, and ex-officio member of the Defense Policy Board and the Defense Science Board. Bobby served as a member of the United States Naval Academy Board of Visitors. 
  

Vickie Cavey was named JEA’s interim managing director and chief executive officer in April 2024. A frequent counselor to JEA executive leadership and 32-year operations veteran, Cavey brings a deep knowledge of JEA in roles that have spanned organizational lines through engagement with the Northeast Florida business community, other utilities, regulatory bodies, and elected officials.

Following her retirement from JEA in 2016, Cavey returned as special assistant for external affairs to interim CEO Paul McElroy in 2020, then assisted McElroy’s successor, Jay Stowe, as board liaison until January 2021. She began her JEA career in 1984 as a mechanical engineer in the power engineering division, one of JEA’s first female engineers. She then advanced to managerial roles in commercial key accounts and special projects prior to director roles overseeing strategic partnerships/acquisitions and strategy development and execution.

Cavey earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida. She has a long history of involvement in the local nonprofit community, in which she currently serves as an advisory board member for the Stellar Academy of Engineering at Nease High School. She is also a past president and board member of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach Foundation. Her volunteer service in local nonprofits spans decades, including the United Way, BEAM, Mission House, PACE Center for Girls and many others.

Cavey and her husband, Dan, live in Ponte Vedra Beach.

JEA Chief Operating Officer Raynetta Curry Marshall leads all utility operations as well as the electric and water teams that provide reliable, affordable, and safe utility services to more than one million Northeast Florida residents.

With more than 35 years of experience in water resources and utility management, Marshall returned to JEA as COO in 2021. She served as general manager of the Underground Utilities & Public Infrastructure department in Tallahassee for two years. Prior to that, Marshall held several leadership roles in JEA’s water / wastewater department from 2011 to 2019.

Marshall holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering and a bachelor's in civil engineering from Howard University. Marshall serves on the boards of the Florida Municipal Power Association and the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies and previously served as president of the Florida Water Environment Association and as chair of the Water Environment Federation Utility Management Committee. 

Sheila Pressley was named JEA's Chief Customer Officer in February 2021. Over her 18-year tenure at JEA, she has provided a wealth of operational and strategic leadership, including service on the extended leadership team and the Customer Experience Business Unit executive leadership team. She has also held leadership positions in Revenue Cycle, Customer Assistance Programs, Call Center Operations, Meter Reading, and Commercial Client Relationships departments and was the Communications and Change Manager for the Customer Care & Billing Project. Additionally she was among the team members who championed customer satisfaction initiatives that led to JEA’s 51-point improvement in the 2013 JD Power Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Ms. Pressley is heavily engaged in community and civic endeavors. She has served as a JAX Chamber Trustee and serves on the board of directors for several nonprofit agencies. She is a 2019 Leadership Jacksonville graduate and volunteers her time to support this longstanding leadership program. She is currently serving a second term as Chair of the Planning Committee for the Northeast Florida Community Action Agency (NFCAA), a nonprofit agency purposed to stabilize vulnerable households and empower families in Northeast Florida to achieve self-sufficiency through education, employment, and advocacy. She also serves on the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC) board of directors, a nationwide organization that advocates for the energy needs of low-income households. She is a former board member of Community Heath Charities of Florida and a past mentor with Take Stock in Children.

David Emanuel was named JEA’s Chief Human Resource Officer in February 2021. He is responsible for the development and implementation of organizational re-design efforts, talent acquisition, succession planning, compensation plans, and team member engagement efforts critical to JEA’s efficiency and productivity.

As a human resources executive with over 30 years of experience in a variety of sectors, Mr. Emanuel strives to help others navigate personnel and organizational matters in a thoughtful, progressive and meaningful manner. He has worked globally, while learning the value of diversity of cultures. He firmly believes that while rules, policies, standards, and expectations can differ, respect for the individual cannot.

Prior to joining JEA, Mr. Emanuel served in a number of senior leadership roles, most recently as Chief Human Resources Officer for APR Energy, a global organization responsible for designing, manufacturing, and operating emergency power sources to customers in 35 countries internationally. He also worked as Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources for CIT, where he was responsible for business process redesign of all human resources in the corporate functional, operations and administration areas across its global footprint. Additionally, Mr. Emanuel was Vice President of Global Human Resources for Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) Worldwide, where he was head of the global human resources sports and entertainment business, encompassing sports teams, entertainment, content management, product development, and facility management for over 35 major venues around the world.

Mr. Emanuel is the Chair of the Dean’s Council at the University of North Florida, Co-Chair of the Talent Advancement Network for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, and has been a speaker for the Minority Business Roundtable for over a decade. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Wittenberg University.

 Theodore B. “Ted” Phillips joined JEA as Chief Financial Officer in August 2021 and has served in the not-for-profit utility sector for more than 30 years. He leads teams that oversee finance, supply chain and procurement, fleet and facilities, cybersecurity and technology services, and fuels for Jacksonville’s community-owned utility.

Before joining JEA, Mr. Phillips led teams in finance/accounting, MIS, technical services, purchasing, stores & warehousing, fleet, and facilities for Huntsville Utilities. Previous to his work in Alabama, he worked in the public sector in North Carolina and Missouri. 

Mr. Phillips earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southeast Missouri State University. He is an active member in his community and has served on the boards of the United Way and The Schools Foundation in Huntsville, Alabama, and was a long-term leader in the Boy Scouts of America. He is treasurer of the Advisory Council of The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida and is a trustee on the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Board of Trustees and its Community Development Partnership Council.

Jody L. Brooks will return to JEA as its chief administrative officer in June 2024. She will have oversight of the utility’s critical infrastructure protection and compliance, audit services, Information Governance and other areas. She also will work with Jacksonville’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) to oversee JEA legal matters.

Ms. Brooks, who served JEA in two previous stints, brings 30 years of legal experience and a wealth of knowledge about JEA, federal, state and local utility regulation and Florida environmental laws. She was JEA’s chief administrative officer from 2021-23 and the utility’s first chief legal officer from 2016-19. Previously, she supported JEA’s efforts as an attorney with the city’s OGC, and most recently she operated a legal practice in Orange Park.

Prior to her public service, Ms. Brooks served as general counsel at Allen Land Group Inc. and in-house counsel with The St. Joe Company. She began her legal career as an Associate with Lewis, Longman and Walker, P.A.

Ms. Brooks holds a Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, along with a Certificate in Environmental Land Use Law.

As JEA’s deputy chief financial officer, Joe Orfano is responsible for supporting the chief financial officer in managing JEA finances and ensuring that the organization operates efficiently and effectively. 

Orfano joined JEA in 2013 and has more than 20 years of prior experience working in electric utility companies. In previous roles with JEA, he has served as treasurer, interim chief financial officer, and vice president, financial services. Prior to joining JEA, he was director of treasury at a mining company in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Orfano holds a B.B.A. in finance from the University of Notre Dame. He serves on the Finance & Audit Committee of The Energy Authority and on the Finance Administration Committee for the Better Jacksonville Plan. 

Kurt Wilson joined JEA in 2020. As chief of staff, Wilson advances key initiatives and operations for the CEO and supports JEA’s leadership team, the Office of General Counsel and the board of directors. He also leads strategic working relationships with community partners, government officials and regional agencies. 

Prior to being promoted to chief of staff, Wilson served as JEA’s vice president, government and community relations. Before joining JEA, he served 25 years with Jacksonville Fire & Rescue, retiring as fire chief. 

Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Flagler College.