JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Yanira “Yaya” Cardona, the first Hispanic Outreach Coordinator for the City of Jacksonville, is leaving her post after two years of service to become General Manager of the Phoenix Arts District.
“Serving as the first Hispanic Outreach Coordinator for the City of Jacksonville has been more than a title — it has been a responsibility I carried with deep pride, purpose, and heart,” Cardona wrote on social media.
In her resignation letter to Jacksonville Mayor Deegan, Cardona recalled helping organize town halls connecting Deegan with the city’s Hispanic community even before the role officially existed — back when Deegan was still on the campaign trail.
“I remember the promises you made about diversifying boards, creating new opportunities, and building a city that truly represents all of its people,” Cardona wrote in her resignation letter. “To not only witness but be part of that journey as Jacksonville elected its first female Mayor was an experience of a lifetime.”
The Hispanic Outreach Coordinator position was created under Mayor Deegan, who said it was designed to connect Jacksonville’s growing Hispanic population to city services and civic life.
“I am truly grateful for Yaya’s service to our community,” Deegan said following Cardona’s resignation. “Today, the community is more connected to the city than ever before because of Yaya’s dedication to the work of making every voice heard.”
During her two years of service, Cardona helped small businesses through the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business program, known as JSEB, supported HealthLink Jax, organized town halls and helped build Unidos Jax, a space celebrating Hispanic culture.
Cardona’s tenure was not without controversy. In January 2026, she was briefly placed on administrative leave after posting a video from her office, addressing reports of increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, activity across Northeast Florida.
In the social media video, Cardona can be heard asking families to have a plan in case they get arrested and to “stay home” if there’s no need to go outside.
“If you get pulled over, as much as we want to huff and puff, please comply,” Cardona said in the video.
Deegan defended the content of the video while calling the situation an “unfortunate distraction.”
“There was nothing she said that was illegal,” Deegan said.
“The reason she was put on administrative leave because we have a policy in the city. We have a mayor who is the spokesperson for the city, and we have people who follow policy that if you are going to create any social media content. [...] that can be misconstrued as coming from the mayor, that has to come through me or our communications office,” Deegan said.
In February, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that he sent a “criminal subpoena” to Deegan’s administration, saying one of the city’s employees may have impeded immigration enforcement.
The request specifically sought work-related emails, texts, and documents from Cardona containing words such as “Nazi,” “Gestapo,” “stormtrooper,” or “terrorize.”
News4JAX reviewed the documents submitted by the city in response to the subpoena and found no mention of those words in the documents.
Cardona’s last day as Hispanic Outreach Coordinator is April 17.
Looking ahead, Cardona said she hopes to one day return to her hometown of Guánica, Puerto Rico, and run for mayor. For now, she’s focused on her new chapter — and leaving the community with this message:
“Get involved and don’t ever be afraid to speak up!”