Karen Bowling at the University of North Florida's Center for Entrepreneurship in 2020. | Jacksonville Daily Record
Published on October 2, 2025 at 4:05 pm
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Karen Bowling, the city’s chief administrative officer, has submitted her resignation and will leave City Hall on Oct. 24.
Bowling, who has served as chief administrator under Jacksonville’s two most recent Democratic mayors, Donna Deegan and Alvin Brown, submitted her resignation Wednesday in a text message to Deegan after an in-person discussion earlier in the day.
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“Mayor Deegan, per our conversation today please accept my resignation, effective October 24, 2025. Thank you for the opportunity and I wish you all the best!” the message provided by the city’s chief information officer, Phil Perry, says.
Bowling’s exit leaves a vacancy at the top spot of the Deegan administration. The mayor said the position will remain open until the end of the year.
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Kelli O’Leary will lead executive branch departments with support from Chief of Staff Mike Weinstein, Deegan wrote in a statement. The need for any additional staff will be evaluated after the holidays, she said.
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“I’m truly grateful for (Bowling’s) many years of service,” Deegan said in her statement. “Karen laid the foundation for our administration. She built an incredible team who smoothly transitioned us into office and made significant progress for Jacksonville. We wish her the best now and in the future.”
Bowling was one of 13 people who composed Deegan’s first executive team in June 2023 shortly after the mayor’s election. She’s been a fixture in Jacksonville government, education and medical circles for decades.
Before joining the Deegan administration, Bowling was the University of North Florida’s first vice president of jobs, according to a May 2020 report from the Jacksonville Daily Record, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
In 2019, Bowling was appointed director of UNF’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and she’s a past chair of the Florida State College of Jacksonville board of trustees. She also was a former television news reporter and worked in health care, including as CEO of Solantic urgent care clinics.
The administration did not provide a reason for Bowling’s departure, but it comes as the city’s 2025-26 fiscal year budget takes effect, after City Council cut $442,207 from the budget Deegan proposed for the mayor’s office.
Council’s Finance Committee’s reduced the amount of money for the mayor’s office from $5,397,000 to $4,954,793.
Bowling’s current salary is $290,331 per year with an annual service raise of $310 and no additional benefits, according to Perry. Her initial offer letter from June 2023 shows Bowling started at $275,000.
Bowling’s predecessor, Brian Hughes, who served as chief administrative officer under Mayor Lenny Curry, finished his tenure with a $330,977 annual salary.
Chief receives bipartisan praise
Shortly after Bowling submitted her resignation, elected leaders on both sides of the political spectrum released statements praising her career and leadership.
“I want to thank my friend and colleague, Karen Bowling, for her years of service as Chief Administrative Officer,” council member Ron Salem, a Republican, said in a statement. “Karen and I have had a great working relationship. She is an effective communicator and a competent administrator. I wish her nothing but the best in this next chapter.”
Rahman Johhnson, a Democratic council member from District 14, referenced last week’s contentious budget fight when he noted the “significant transition” with Bowling’s resignation.
“Karen Bowling’s leadership came during a time of extraordinary challenge, including the recent budget process that tested the limits of this city’s resolve,” Johnson said. “Through it all, Karen demonstrated the steadiness and professionalism that has defined her career.”
