John Peyton

John Peyton (born July 28, 1964) has been the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida since July 1, 2003. He is only the second Republican mayor of the city since 1888. Elected at age 38, he is one of the youngest mayors currently serving a city in Florida or any of the Southern United States. On March 20, 2007, Peyton was elected to serve a second term as mayor of Jacksonville beginning July 1, 2007. Image File history File links Mayor-Peyton-at-Desk. ... Image File history File links Mayor-Peyton-at-Desk. ...

Peyton’s family owns Gate Petroleum, one of the largest privately held companies in Florida. He served as vice president of Gate prior to his election, and brought a business mentality to the running of Jacksonville’s city government. Jacksonville is the largest city in area in the continental United States, with a population of more than 800,000 and a budget that exceeds that of some states, so the impact of these changes is significant.

In addition to streamlining operations and implementing best financial practices in the municipal government, Peyton has stepped up public safety funding in Jacksonville by allocating $1.5 billion during his first four years to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and the Medical Examiner. He successfully led the city in hosting its first-ever Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXXIX, and his advocacy on behalf of local military facilities helped to make Jacksonville one of the largest “gainer” cities in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.

Peyton’s often-stated priority is growing good jobs for Jacksonville’s citizens, and he has worked closely with the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce on various economic development projects and the Blueprint for Prosperity, a five-year strategy to raise per capita income.

Because of its effect on both individual success and regional prosperity, Peyton has also made early literacy a major focus of his administration. His communitywide literacy initiative, RALLY Jacksonville!, has reached tens of thousands of pre-school children throughout the city, garnering wide support and making it a model for other cities to follow.

Peyton’s civic experience includes serving on the boards of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, the Jacksonville Symphony Association and Greenscape of Jacksonville. Peyton is married to Dr. Kathryn Pearson, a Jacksonville physician, and they have one son, John Conner, born in 2005. Peyton is a graduate of Mercer University and the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program.

External links

• Biography, from the City of Jacksonville website
• Gate Petroleum