10 Things You Didn’t Know About Lenny Curry
Lenny Curry is an American politician who holds the office of Mayor in Jacksonville, Florida. He has been featured on multiple news stories recently because of his reluctance to close the beaches in his home state of Florida during the early onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Curry, along with many other leaders has come under fire for his decision-making in the current crisis that the city of Jacksonville and the nation are facing. Here are 10 things that you probably didn’t know about Lenny Curry that can give you a little background on his qualifications for the position he currently occupies.
1. He is a native Floridian
Lenny was born on July 19, 1970, in Key West, Florida. His parents named him Leonard Boyd Curry. His family moved to Middleburg, Florida where he grew up and attended local schools. He is a lifelong resident of the state of Florida which gives him unique insights into the issues facing the people who live there. He is currently 49 years old.
2. He didn’t go away for college
Lenny attended Middleburg High School and completed his studies, graduating from the school. After high school, he attended St. Johns River Community College for a period of time. He stayed in his home state and transferred to the University of Florida. There, he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating summa cum laude.
3. Curry is a businessman
Lenny Curry is the founder of his own company. He is a co-founder of the ICX Group. This is a professional services firm. After college, Lenny put the knowledge and skills that he gained to good use by going into business for himself. This gives him a unique perspective on what is involved with conducting business and financial affairs and it helped to prepare him for the job of mayor of one of Florida’s larger metropolitan areas.
4. Lenny Curry is a family man
Lenny married Molly, his current and only spouse in 2005. The couple has been together for 15 years and they make their home in Jacksonville Florida. Their children are Bridgett, Brooke, and Boyd. In addition to running a business and a city, he also enjoys spending time with his family.
5. He is a Republican
Leonard Curry is a member of the Republican political party. He also served as the Chair of the Republican Party of Florida for a period of time. Lenny assumed the post on September 23, 2011, and he served until May 31, 2014. He assumed the seat from David Bitner and was succeeded by Leslie Dougher.
6. Curry has been good for Jacksonville
Under his administration, Lenny Curry has made some significant accomplishments for the betterment of the city of Jacksonville. So far, he found a solution for the previous pension crisis, he created the Kids Hope Alliance that reformed children’s services, and more. He also made investments in Jacksonville law enforcement as well as providing resources for neighborhoods to bolster public safety.
7. He operates on a set of priorities
Curry has established transparency and has set five key priorities that he calls a vision for One City. One Jacksonville. These priorities serve as benchmarks for the residents to assess his competence and efficiency in leading the city. The priorities include public safety, youth enrichment, leadership and accountability, health and wellness, and economic and community development. This tells us that he has clearly communicated his objectives to the people of Jacksonville and it gives them a matrix by which they can compare his promises to the accomplishments of his administration.
8. He is a CPA
After graduating from college, Lenny curry continued forward to earn his credentials as a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers as a certified public accountant and this gave him decades of experience applying the principles of accounting that he learned in college. He came into the position of mayor with these vital financial and accounting skills which have helped him to be a competent leader in the financial affairs and fiscal management practices for the city of Jacksonville. In addition to this, his role in the ICX Group, Inc has also shown that he has the necessary skills. The firm provides executive recruiting, staffing, finance and accounting consultation. Lenny Curry is serving his second term as Mayor of Jacksonville because he has proven that he has the competency and desire to effectively lead the city forward with a bold attitude towards goal accomplishment.
9. Curry has shown that he can take a firm stance
The State of Florida has taken a more relaxed stance when it comes to social distancing and issuing restrictions on activities in the current Coronavirus pandemic. The governor was reluctant to issue stay at home orders or restrictions on public gatherings and when he did, he undermined them with loopholes that basically allowed people to continue to gather as they wish. With no blanket mandates, this left each mayor and city council to determine their own rules with regard to public health and safety. Curry has urged residents to limit their contact and he was besieged with tweets requesting that he close down bars and restaurants in the middle of March. He pleaded with citizens to start acting responsibly and warned that if the public did not do so, he would mandate social distancing for all residents and visitors in the city. He went further and signed an emergency declaration to suspend town events and to close parks and libraries to attempt to protect the health and safety of the residents.
10. He tries to accommodate all residents of the city
Lenny Curry is facing the same challenges that every other mayor is dealing with. He is trying to maintain a sense of order and to protect people from the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. He did agree to re-open some of the beaches, but he has also issued strict guidelines. This shows that he is doing his best to act responsibly without taking away Jacksonville inhabitants’ rights. He is a leader who deeply cares about his community, but he is also firm in issuing the warnings that it wouldn’t take many violators to ruin it for everybody. If it becomes a problem and people don’t follow the restrictions set in place, everyone could lose the right to beach access until the crisis abates.
