Duval County Public Schools - Every Student. Every Day.

District 1

The Honorable Dr. Kelly Coker 

The Honorable Dr. Kelly Coker is an accomplished educator with the knowledge and desire to make our schools better for children. Dr. Coker began her career as a middle school teacher with the Duval County Public Schools. Over the next 27 years, she went on to serve as a Principal of two middle schools, Executive Director of Middle Schools, Region Superintendent of K-12 Schools, Region Chief of High Schools, and, most recently, Assistant Superintendent. During her career, she expanded school choice options for all children, oversaw a 29-million-dollar budget, and led multiple divisions across the school district. Working with parents, local business leaders, and school principals, she was able to establish new workforce development programs, expand dual enrollment options, and achieve record high district graduation rates.

Dr. Coker is a 4th generation Jacksonville native who has lived in School Board District 1 her entire life. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Florida, a master's degree from Jacksonville University, and a doctoral degree from the University of North Florida. Dr. Coker currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. She is also on the Leadership Team for Leadership Jax. She and her husband of 27 years continue to live in the neighborhood where she grew up. They are the proud parents of a daughter who has graduated from Duval County Public Schools and now attends the University of Virginia.

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District 2

The Honorable April A. Carney

The Honorable April A. Carney came to Jacksonville in 2000 from New York City after leaving a career on Wall Street working for Smith Barney and CIBC Oppenheimer for almost 6 years. After moving to Atlanta and Denver for her husband Drew's career, they decided to come back home to Jacksonville in 2016.  April attended West Virginia University after high school in New York for two years and later transferred to Florida State College of Jacksonville's Interior Design Program. April owns and operates the Interior Design Firm, Re-Dew Interiors LLC, here in Jacksonville, which she originally founded in 2013 in Colorado.

She is a firm believer in Parental Choice for education and believes all children deserve a quality education tailored to individual needs to reach their true potential. April is a wife of over 19 years, mother of two wonderful girls, and a rescue dog mom to Roux and Otis.     

April enjoys spending time at the beach, camping, traveling, regularly attending her church, and helping others live a healthy lifestyle as a Certified Nutrition Coach and staying active in her spare time. She is honored to have been elected in August of 2022 to serve as your District 2 representative on the Duval County School Board.

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District 3

The Honorable Cindy Pearson

The Honorable Cindy Pearson is a Jacksonville native who attended Duval County Public Schools K-12. She and her husband, Scott, have one student in DCPS schools and two who are DCPS graduates. Prior to being elected to serve District 3, she had been an active parent volunteer on the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In 2020, Cindy was named Outstanding School Volunteer for Duval County by the Florida Department of Education.
 
Cindy holds a BA in English from Florida State University and a MS in Recreation Studies from University of Florida. She has worked for a city government and for a faith-based not-for-profit organization. Cindy is part of the 2023 Leadership Jacksonville class. She also represents the Board on the Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission, Florida School Boards Association Board of Directors, FSBA Advocacy Committee, Mayor Deegan’s Citywide Literary Initiative and Leadership Jacksonville Education Day committee.

Cindy brings experience in mobilizing parents and community members to support local schools. She believes that we need to hear from many voices and perspectives on how to create a countywide system of thriving schools. She looks forward to building a broad coalition of people who care about our public schools.
 

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District 4

The Honorable Darryl Willie, Chairman 

The Honorable Darryl Willie is a dynamic educational ambassador with experience from K-12 to higher education. He has worked in education for the past 20 years from the front lines as a classroom teacher in the Mississippi Delta; to Education Administrator in California at UC Berkeley, and Executive Director of Teach For America in Jacksonville. He has served on the Duval County School Board for four years and was re-elected for an additional four-year term through 2026. While on the board, he has been a part of securing monumental funding for the rebuilding of neighborhood schools, successfully raising teacher salaries with a county-wide vote, and changing the names of confederate schools in the community, all with a focus on student achievement. 

Darryl’s work has been centered on impacting communities of color, with an intentional focus on sustainable outcomes for students and young adults. In addition to his school board role, Darryl also works as a non-profit leader and consultant in workforce development and education, developing community and business partnerships, managing strategic projects, and accelerating and facilitating learning spaces across multiple cities and states. His work has not gone unnoticed as he was recognized as a Jacksonville Non-Profit Emerging leader, Leadership Jacksonville selection, School Board Partners National Fellow, Leadership Florida Education Class, and Jacksonville Business Journal top 40 under 40. 

Darryl also serves on several local boards and has served on advisory boards for university presidents at two institutions. His community involvement includes Northwest Jacksonville Community Development Corporation, Jacksonville Arts and Music School, Level the Playing Field, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, and 100 Black Men of Jacksonville.

Darryl is a proud military brat and has lived in many states and overseas. He attended North Carolina State University where he was Student Body President and holds a master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Georgia. Darryl lives on the Northside of Jacksonville with his brilliant and beautiful wife and his 3 inquisitive daughters who attend Duval County Public Schools.

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District 5

The Honorable Warren A. Jones  

The Honorable Warren A. Jones represents District 5 and believes that having a well-educated and qualified workforce is a critical consideration for businesses that are looking to locate or expand in Jacksonville. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. During his 28 years as a Jacksonville City Council Member, he served as a member or Chairman of various standing committees and special committees and was also elected as City Council President in 1991 and 1992. As a City Council Member, he supported education through partnering with community associations and the Duval County Public Schools to provide funding for swimming pools, walking trails, and playground equipment for various schools. He currently serves as a board member for Visit Jacksonville and Gateway Community Services. He has also coached the Redcaps youth baseball team for the Paxon Improvement Association and previously served as a board member for Jacksonville Electric Authority, the Museum of Science and History, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Northeast Florida Community Action Agency, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Lackawanna Community Association, and Paxon Improvement Association.   

He resides on the Westside with his wife Vanessa, who has retired from Duval County Public Schools.

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District 6

The Honorable Charlotte D. Joyce - Vice-Chairman

The Honorable Charlotte D. Joyce was born and raised on Jacksonville’s westside and is deeply invested in her community, particularly in our children’s education. She attended Joseph Stilwell Jr. High (now the Joseph Stilwell Military Academy of Leadership) and graduated from Ed White High School.

After graduating from the University of North Florida, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, Charlotte began her teaching career at Stilwell. Before that, she was a homeschool mom, and spent many years as a substitute teacher. She has had the privilege of instructing students throughout the district in many of the classrooms around our city. 

As an educator, Charlotte has a first-hand appreciation for the joys and challenges that are common to all students and teachers. As a Magnet Coordinator, Charlotte developed an in-depth understanding of academic and discipline data, the budget process, market development, ESE training, and student incentive promotions, and the need for parental involvement. 

In 2014, Joseph Stilwell became a dedicated magnet school. Because of Charlotte’s experience as a “magnet school mom” – her own children attended Duval County Magnet Schools – she knew that successful schools require invested parents. She founded the Leadership Booster Club at Stilwell to develop community support and raise money for the magnet program. The Booster Club has played a vital role in funding the school’s leadership program. As the former parent liaison, she also oversaw parent groups such as SAC and PTSA. One of her children is a proud Stilwell cadet. 

Charlotte has five children of her own and understands a parent’s desire to have his/her children delivered a world-class education. Experience has taught her that each child is unique and, as a result, may need a specialized program to maximize the likelihood of success. For this reason, Charlotte is a champion for school choice. She has witnessed, in the transformation of Joseph Stilwell, how Duval County’s magnet school program has transformed communities and lives.

Charlotte also enjoys advocating for agricultural education in our community. She works with Duval County Farm Bureau’s women’s leadership program in furtherance of that commitment.

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District 7

The Honorable Dr. Lori Hershey 

The Honorable Dr. Lori Hershey is a champion for students and public education. Leading for over two decades, on School Advisory Councils, Booster Boards, PTSA Boards, Strings on the River, and DCPS School Safety and Security Advisory Committee. 

Making a difference for children has been central to her multi-faceted career, as she has worked with non-profit organizations like Communities in Schools and The Jacksonville Children's Commission. Dr. Hershey is an educator at heart and a former middle school teacher who is certified in Critical Thinking Strategies and Instructional Design by the National Institute for Teaching Thinking.

Dr. Hershey values opportunities for students to participate in fitness. She has written grants to support run/walk programs for students in Duval and Clay Counties which impact 18,000 students annually. She has been a licensed real estate agent since 2001. Her license is currently at Watson Referral Realty. Dr. Hershey is an Associate with Ray & Associates, a national company specializing in educational executive leadership searches. 

Recognized as an Emerging Leader by the Florida School Board Association in 2017. Dr. Hershey has earned the distinction of Certified Board Member. This distinction is held by 28% of Board Members in the State of Florida. Dr. Hershey has been engaged in public education at the state and national level, serving on the Florida School Board Association’s Board of Directors from 2019-2022 and the Board of Directors for the Council of Great City Schools from 2019-2022. She has previously served on the finance, legislative, federal-relations and advocacy committees for the Florida School Board Association. She was Vice-Chair of the School Board in 2018 and Chairwoman of the School Board in 2019.

A graduate of Stetson University, Dr. Hershey is a true lifelong learner. She holds a master's degree in Public Administration and is currently working on her dissertation through Grand Canyon University. She is proud to be an alumna of LJ 2020 and the FBI Citizens Academy.  

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