The Conversation
Colin Tarbert Downtown Investment Authority CEO What attracted you to Jacksonville and to the opportunity to lead the Downtown Investment Authority? Jacksonville offers a rare opportunity to shape a downtown at scale. We have a remarkable riverfront, available land, and real momentum behind transformative projects. The DIA brings together planning, real estate, and investment tools to move that vision forward. For...
The Conversation: Kimberly Noble
George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director & CEO Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens You’re a Jacksonville native stepping into leadership of one of the city’s most beloved cultural institutions. How has growing up here shaped your connection to the museum and its mission? Growing up in Jacksonville, the Cummer Museum has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Like so many in this community, I have deeply...
Na’Zir McFadden Jacksonville Symphony Assistant Conductor
Photo: ©Andrej Grilc Audience connection is at the heart of your work. From the podium, how do you create those powerful moments of connection? I try to create moments that feel personal and alive—where the orchestra and audience breathe together. It’s about honesty and presence, letting the music unfold naturally so everyone feels part of the same journey. When that connection happens, the performance becomes something shared, not...
Conversation: Nemiah Rutledge
Evoto Owner of Body Paradox Fitness LLC Photo: Quintez Simmons, QDotProductions As a Jacksonville native, where did you spend your childhood, who were your parents, and what influences were there in your life that led to your becoming the man you are today? I was born September 29, 1987, and raised mostly on Jacksonville’s Northside. My parents were Nemiah Rutledge, Sr. and Linda Oliver Rutledge, both Bible-toting, scripture-quoting...
The Conversation Mari Kuraishi President of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund
Mari Kuraishi is president of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, where she leads work to create communities of belonging in Jacksonville and beyond. Named one of Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global Thinkers for “crowdsourcing worldsaving,” she cofounded the crowdfunding platform GlobalGiving after many years at the World Bank, where she created and managed some of its most innovative programs. Fluent in several languages and having lived in...
Timothy Feagins
Principal of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts You have a career in education spanning more than 25 years, but you began as an accomplished student percussionist who played in the high school band then went on to play in the University of Missouri Drumline. Are there any lessons from that experience that you bring to the table as the principal of an arts magnet school? Playing in my high school band and the University of Missouri...
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