James Bennett, chief operating officer of the Jacksonville Port Authority, is shown in 2022. | Jacksonville Port Authority
Published on December 8, 2025 at 3:33 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. Sign up for the Jacksonville Today newsletter.
The chief operating officer for the Jacksonville Port Authority has died in a car accident.
JAXPORT confirmed the death of COO James Bennett in a statement Monday. Bennett had worked for the authority since 2017 and served as COO since 2022.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
“We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of our colleague and friend, James Bennett. James dedicated his life to improving the quality of life for people in Northeast Florida, and our entire community is better for his service,” JaxPort spokesperson Chelsea Kavanagh wrote in the statement.
Read the rest of this story at the Jacksonville Daily Record, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
