Navy veteran named city’s planning director
Deegan: James brings ‘a fresh perspective’
A military veteran who worked decades for the Navy has become the city planning director in a Navy town.
Mayor Donna Deegan’s appointment of R. Brett James will bring brand-new leadership at the top of the department that shapes how and where the city grows on zoning matters, building inspections and resilience planning.
“I’m excited to see Brett join our administration as the director of planning and development,” Deegan said in announcing the appointment. “His successful career brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of knowledge to Jacksonville, both of which will benefit our citizens now and into the future.”
James worked as both a civilian and an enlistee in the Navy. He was on active duty or in the reserves from 1989 to 2013.
James worked six years as an associate planner for Oklahoma City before a 24-year career in the U.S. Navy. Among his work for the Navy was a 15-month overseas deployment to Horn of Africa and Bagram in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the city announcement of his hiring.
City Council will vote on confirming James to the post that pays $185,000 a year. The department has had an acting director since Bill Killingsworth left to become Atlantic Beach city manager in September.
James was director of director of strategic planning for the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command in San Diego.
He also was a senior civilian leader for asset management at two NAVFAC commands, Southwest and Far East, where he worked in master planning, project development, real estate, publicprivate partnerships, and geographic information mapping for Navy land and facilities worth more than $100 billion in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Diego Garcia, and the southwest part of the U.S., according to the city announcement.
He also was a planning director for the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps in Japan.