JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A procession Wednesday returned Baker County Commissioner Jimmy Bennett’s remains to Macclenny after he died Monday morning in a crash on I-10.
Bennett, who also served as the chief operating officer for the Jacksonville Port Authority, had been on the Baker County Commission since 2011.
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The procession bringing Bennett back to Baker County traveled through Macclenny on Highway 90 as members of the community paid their respects on either side of the street.
“Commissioner Bennett served our county with integrity and heartfelt commitment. We are grateful for his years of service,” Sheriff Scotty Rhoden wrote in a social media post.
Community mourns
In a statement, JaxPort spokesperson Chelsea Kavanagh wrote that the organization’s employees and leadership were deeply saddened by Bennett’s unexpected passing.
“James dedicated his life to improving the quality of life for people in Northeast Florida, and our entire community is better for his service,” Kavanagh wrote.
Bennett oversaw JaxPort’s two largest departments—Operations and Engineering—and as a member of the leadership team was the liaison for many of the port’s partners. He had worked for JaxPort since 2017 and became COO in 2022.
Bennett was killed just before 7:30 a.m. Monday morning in a crash on I-10 eastbound, west of U.S. 301. His Lexus sedan was rear-ended in traffic by an F-150. The impact slammed him into the inside guardrail and spun his car around.
The 16-year-old driver of the pick-up truck suffered minor injuries.
“James brought extraordinary dedication, skill, and heart to everything he did. His work ethic was unmatched, and his commitment to our mission elevated everyone around him,” Kavanagh wrote. “He loved his work and the people he worked alongside, and in turn, we were all made better by working with him.”
According to News4JAX news partner, the Jacksonville Daily Record, Bennett oversaw JaxPort’s capital growth program and the expansion of Blount Island’s container and auto-handling capabilities.
Bennett joined JaxPort as its senior director of engineering and construction. In that role, he was responsible for the completion of JaxPort’s 47-foot harbor deepening project, $100 million berth modernization project, and renovations to the JaxPort Cruise Terminal, JDR reported.
“Beyond his professional accomplishments, James was an exceptional human being whose spirit filled every room he entered. His loss will be felt deeply across our organization,” Kavanagh wrote. “We are forever grateful for his leadership, his friendship, and his service to our port and to Northeast Florida.”
Before JaxPort, Bennett spent more than 20 years with the Florida Department of Transportation, where he served as planning manager for District Two, encompassing 18 counties throughout North Florida, according to JDR.
Bennett has also been a Baker County Commissioner since 2011, and the commission shared a social media post on Monday, mourning his passing.
“Our community has lost a dedicated public servant, a cherished colleague, and a well-respected leader,” the post read. “Commissioner Bennett’s impact on Baker County was immeasurable. His integrity, compassion, and unwavering commitment to this community will forever remain a part of our county’s history. We are grateful for his years of service and for the steady sense of responsibility and service he demonstrated throughout his time in office.”
Rhoden also shared a remembrance of Bennett and his influential work in Baker County.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan posted this statement online:
“On behalf of my administration and the City of Jacksonville, our heartfelt condolences go out to the Bennett and JAXPORT families during this heartbreaking time. We are extremely thankful for James Bennett’s care, dedication, and service to not only Jacksonville, but also all of Northeast Florida.”
News4JAX spoke with Councilman Rahman Johnson about Bennett’s impact.
“I’ve had a chance to work with him, just a really good guy. He really believed in the great things this community could do and that the community was doing. And his charge was not just to work at JaxPort, but was to make North Florida better. And he was doing that with every decision he made,” said Johnson.