Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico has nominated another person to fill Arthur Adams’ seat on the JEA board, two weeks after a text message exchange between he and Adams came to light saying he needed to replace Adams as a “big favor to a friend.”
Carrico is nominating Randy Wyse, who currently serves as executive director with Jacksonville Police Officers and Fire Fighters Health Insurance Trust, to fill “the expiring term of Arthur Adams,” a news release Monday afternoon said.
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This comes after Adams was approved to be the JEA board’s vice chair during the board executive committee meeting on Monday morning.
In Carrico’s news release, he “also expressed gratitude to outgoing board member Arthur Adams for his service and stewardship.”
Action News Jax’s Ben Becker first told you February 16 that he obtained a text exchange between Carrico and Adams that appears to show Carrico opting to remove sitting board member to repay what Carrico called a “big favor” to his boss, Paul Martinez at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida.
In that exchange, Carrico wrote:
“What’s up bro… hey I owed a big favor to a friend and opted to put him on the JEA board as your term is expiring… Not sure if you wanted to stay but I needed to do this for my guy.”
INITIAL STORY: Carrico text suggests ‘big favor’ driving push to replace JEA board member with boss
Adams replied:
“My plan was to stay… I’m disappointed - I wanted to serve a full term and felt I was adding real value…”
Adams, formerly a 20-year CSX veteran, replaced Edward Waters University President Dr. Zachary Faison Jr. on the JEA board and was serving the final year of Faison’s term. Adams played a key role on JEA’s Capital Projects Committee.
Carrico called Wyse a “proven leader” in the following statement:
“Randy Wyse is a proven leader who has dedicated his life to public service, both in uniform and in leadership roles advocating for Jacksonville’s firefighters and their families. Over more than three decades with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Randy advanced through the ranks and eventually served as President of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters Local 122, where he was re-elected by his peer’s multiple times - a testament to the respect he commands, and the trust placed in him by his colleagues.”
“In that capacity, Randy has balanced organizational leadership with a commitment to fiscal responsibility, negotiation, and accountability. That blend of operational insight and institutional experience is exactly what Jacksonville needs on the JEA Board - to bring stability to our utility, ensure the utmost transparency, fight for lower rates and remain focused on serving the people.”
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Wyse, former president of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters, issued the following statement on the nomination:
“It is a deep honor to be nominated to serve on the JEA Board of Directors. Throughout my 32-year career with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and in my union leadership roles, my focus has always been clear: serve the community faithfully, advocate for transparency and accountability, and work collaboratively to solve complex problems. If confirmed, I will bring that same ethic to the JEA Board — ensuring that the voices of residents, workers, and ratepayers are heard, respected, and reflected in the decisions that impact our city’s future.”
How did we get here?
Emails obtained by Action News Jax show the timeline of the decision to nominate Martinez and that the wheels were in motion to replace Adams before he was told:
February 4: An email from Boys & Girls Clubs VP of marketing to the City’s Chief of Research. It contains Martinez’s JEA board application.
February 5: Carrico sent the text message to Adams, informing him his term was not being renewed because Carrico “owed a big favor to a friend.”
February 6: Another email from the city back to the Boys & Girls Clubs saying “The legislation for Mr. Martinez’s appointment to the JEA Board was filed today.”
February 10: The bill was introduced to the City Council.
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Here’s what’s happened since Becker’s February 16 story on the text message exchange:
February 18: Martinez announces he will no longer pursue the opportunity to serve on the JEA board.
February 19: Carrico accuses JEA CEO Vickie Cavey of “racism” and “toxic culture” after text controversy.
February 20: Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan calls the accusations against Cavey a “smear campaign.”
February 25: Carrico is served a subpoena by the State Attorney’s Office.
February 26: Jacksonville City Councilman Jimmy Peluso calls on Carrico to temporarily step down as City Council President until the State Attorney’s Office finishes its investigation.
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