Darnell Smith, chief of staff for Mayor Donna Deegan, speaks during the city of Jacksonville's Black History Month celebration at City Hall on Feb, 27, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on August 10, 2026 at 4:26 pm
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Retired Florida Blue executive Darnell Smith is returning to Jacksonville City Hall as the Deegan administration’s chief of staff.
Smith fills the role left vacant last year when the chief at the time, Mike Weinstein, was named the city’s chief administrative officer. That move followed the departure of the mayor’s top executive, Karen Bowling.
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But Smith is familiar with his new job at City Hall. He was previously chief of staff for nine months in 2024, as an executive on loan from Florida Blue.
He’s since retired as Florida Blue’s Northeast Florida market president after 30 years with the company. He was co-chair of Mayor Donna Deegan’s transition team after the Democrat’s election in 2023.
According to a news release announcing his hire, Smith’s first day on the job was Monday.
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“Darnell is the rare type of leader who brings decades of executive experience combined with genuine humility and an unending desire to help people,” Deegan said in the release. “Jacksonville is a city on the rise, and we’ll only climb higher with Darnell returning to lead our talented team.”
The chief of staff is one of the highest-ranking appointed positions in City Hall, responsible for working directly with the mayor’s administrative staff. The chief of staff coordinates municipal projects and strategy between city departments.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our city and building on the momentum that Mayor Deegan has created,” Smith said in the release. “It’s an honor to be part of a team that is working to make Jacksonville safer, healthier, and more affordable for everyone.”
Turnover as chief of staff
Chief Communications Officer Phil Perry tells Jacksonville Today that Smith’s salary is $277,000 per year, mirroring Weinstein’s compensation.
Deegan chose to leave the chief of staff job empty when Weinstein was promoted to chief administrator in October 2025. Perry says, since then, Weinstein has been doing both jobs. The mayor’s staff also includes Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Inderhees.
The chief of staff position has seen the least amount of longevity out of Deegan’s top officials. Before Weinstein and Smith, the job was held by Pat McCollough, who was in the position for less than six months.
McCollough, a retired U.S. Marine sergeant major and Deegan’s election campaign adviser, shifted to special adviser to the mayor on civic engagement and youth empowerment.
Smith rejoins the Deegan administration as the mayor enters the final year of her first term and prepares for a reelection campaign in 2027.
In addition to his position in the region’s business and corporate communities, Smith has served on the boards of the Sulzbacher Center, Cathedral Arts Project, First Coast YMCA, LIFT JAX, JAX Chamber, JAXUSA Policy Council, United Way of Northeast Florida, A.L. Lewis Black Opportunity and Impact Fund, and Blue Zones Jacksonville.
Other elected leaders at Jacksonville City Hall commented on Smith’s appointment.
“His work has always been about people. It has been about building healthier communities, stronger institutions, meaningful partnerships, and opportunities that improve lives,” Democratic City Council member Rahman Johnson said in a written statement. “That perspective is invaluable as Jacksonville continues addressing affordability, economic growth, public health, neighborhood investment, and the long-term financial stewardship our residents deserve.”
