Jacksonville Transportation Authority board Chair Donna Harper will not seek another term when her appointment expires May 31, she said Thursday.
Harper, a gubernatorial appointment, submitted a letter to Gov. Rick Scott on April 1 informing him of the decision, citing a growing business that demanded more of her time.
She is the CEO of Systems Logic Co.
Harper read a statement to the board, saying she will continue to serve until her replacement is ready to take over. She has served off and on the authority’s board for more than 12 years.
Afterward, she said she has contemplated the decision her reasons for about three months. She called it a “private decision” that she was not prepared to discuss, but would in the future.
“I’ve experienced just about everything you can experience,” she said.
After the meeting, Harper refused to give the statement to a JTA spokesman who was seeking to fulfill a public records request by the Daily Record.
Jennifer Mansfield, a public records attorney with Holland & Knight, said Harper’s prepared statement appeared to be a public document. She said she could not be certain until a specific exemption was cited by JTA as to why the document would not be a public record.
Jacquie Gibbs, the authority’s vice president of external affairs, said the request has been forwarded to the authority’s public records custodian for a response.
Harper could not be reached Thursday night or Friday morning to explain why she would not fulfill the public records request.
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