Mayor Alvin Brown appoints acting general counsel

Jason Gabriel fills role left after resignation of Cindy Laquidara

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Alvin Brown has appointed Jason R. Gabriel as acting general counsel to fill the position vacated by General Counsel Cindy Laquidara.

After more than 15 years with the city of Jacksonville, Laquidara announced her resignation on April 23 to join the Akerman LLP law firm, effective July 1.

The General Counsel represents the Mayor's Office, City Council, Duval County School Board, constitutional officers, and independent authorities.

Gabriel's appointment as acting general counsel must be confirmed by the city council. He will then serve until July 1, 2015.

Read: Jason Gabriels' full resume

Gabriel, a Jacksonville Beach resident, is currently lead managing attorney of the Government Operations Department of the Office of General Counsel. A graduate of the University of Florida College of Law, Gabriel is a Board Certified Specialist by the Florida Bar in city, county and local government law.

"Jason Gabriel has displayed the expertise, professionalism and vision necessary to serve as General Counsel," Brown said in a news release. "He has a strong record of providing effective counsel to City Council, the Supervisor of Elections, and various city departments. He has vast expertise in ethics and open government law."

Gabriel joined the Office of General Counsel in 2010. Previously, he was senior associate at the law firm of Edwards Cohen from March 2002 to March 2010.


About the Author:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.