Questioner: Anonymous
Posted to: John Delaney, President University of North Florida
As the President of a public metropolitan university committed to community engagement and seeking to establish and strengthen ties with community organizations and agencies, why did you decide to not only publicly endorse one, but also attack the other, mayoral candidate?
“I became involved because I am personally committed to community engagement. Sometimes that means taking controversial stands and calling something for what it is. Needless to say, my concerns were what I would call “deeply held policy and political beliefs.” For anything less, I would have stayed on the sidelines.
As an aside, I believe that I also have a separate identity from UNF as a former Mayor. I made clear throughout that I was speaking as a former Mayor. Our diverse faculty often express strong opinions outside of the university setting, and the public does not attribute that to the university. I think people know the difference.”
