The Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute announces the 2022 recipients of the Master in Public Policy Minority Fellowship.
The MPP Minority Fellowship Program was established in 2018 and is the result of a collaboration with the City of Jacksonville Mayor’s Office and community leaders and the generosity and vision of Chuck and Cami Wodehouse. Recipients of the MPP Minority Fellowship receive a full-tuition scholarship for a Master in Public Policy degree, a books and materials stipend, and internship opportunities within the City of Jacksonville.
“Now in its fifth year, the MPP Minority Fellowship Program has exceeded all expectations,” said Rick Mullaney, Shircliff Executive Director of the Public Policy Institute. “The Fellowship Program seeks to educate, train, and prepare a new generation of diverse leadership for the future of North Florida and to instill the Institute’s core values of integrity, civility, accountability, courage, and stewardship.”
This year’s Fellowship recipients are:
Joyce Morgan Danford is serving her second four-year term in Jacksonville City Council representing District
1, where she also chairs the Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee. She
leads a City Council initiative called “Safer Together” which works to increase the
inclusion of all communities in conversations about crime and safety in Jacksonville.
Danford holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Education from Jacksonville State
University (AL) and has extensive experience in communications, marketing, and media.
Danford is excited to begin such an impactful program. “Public Policy is all around us, related to our health, property taxes, crime, education, or even garbage pickup. This is an exciting step for me as I continue to pursue initiatives as a public servant. My commitment is to leave this community even better than I found it. This Master in Public Policy allows for a free flow of classroom dialogue and conversation that I believe will make me an even stronger public servant for the citizens of Jacksonville."
James Ellout is the Managing Director for City Year Jacksonville’s Network of School Improvement.
For nearly a decade, Ellout has served the Jacksonville community at City Year. Beginning
as Impact Director, Ellout was charged with managing a large team of volunteers and
Impact Managers in the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community program. Now, he
continues to support this program in addition to leading a network of 10 Duval County
middle schools, in partnership with John Hopkins University. Ellout holds a Bachelor
of Arts in English from Oakland University (MI) and specializes in education policy
and reform.
Ellout accepts the Fellowship with a strong sense of integrity and service. "Advancing my scholarship journey as a 2022 Minority Fellow with Jacksonville University's Master in Public Policy program is exhilarating. I desire to distill critical policy skills from my studies to examine issues with precision and more importantly apply my best thinking to unearth pertinent solutions for the Jacksonville community."
“The MPP Minority Fellowship Program is a national model and has dramatically elevated the MPP program at Jacksonville University,” said board member Matthew Kane. “We look forward to continuing to attract extraordinary applications in the future and preparing servant leaders for our community and beyond.”
A nine-member board of advisors selected the finalists from among this year’s applicants, interviewed the finalists, and selected the fellowship award winners. The MPP Minority Fellowship Board of Advisors includes:
- Cynthia B. Chomiak, ’83 – Founder and Chief Executive, Educated Decisions LLC; Vice Chairman, Jacksonville University Board of Trustees
- Dr. Barbara Darby – President, Florida State College of Jacksonville North Campus (Retired)
- Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., ’17 – Chief Executive Officer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority
- The Honorable Nathaniel Glover Jr. – President, Edward Waters College (Retired), former Jacksonville Sheriff
- Mark L. Griffin – Pastor and Chief Executive Officer, Wayman Ministries
- Matthew Kane, ’01 – Former Owner, Greenshades Software, Inc.; Jacksonville University Board of Trustees
- Dr. Charles E. Moreland – Director of Community Affairs, City of Jacksonville
- Charles Wodehouse – President, CSX Technology, Inc. (Retired); Senior Vice President, CSX Transportation (Retired); Member of the Public Policy Institute Board of Advisors; Former Jacksonville University Board of Trustees (19 years)
Applications for the 2023 MPP Minority Fellowships are now being accepted. Those interested are encouraged to visit www.ju.edu/publicpolicy to learn more and apply.
