Mayor Donna Deegan will turn to City Hall veteran Mike Weinstein to be her chief of staff after Florida Blue executive Darnell Smith moves on from his “executive on loan” arrangement with the city.
Smith’s voluntary service agreement with the city is for him to be chief of staff from January through the end of December, but he is devoting most of his time to the contentious negotiations between Florida Blue and Baptist Health on an insurance contract. The current contract expires at the end of the month for most Florida Blue members to have access at “in-network” rates for health care at Baptist hospitals and physician offices.
Deegan said while Smith continues to do some work for the city, the transition is starting for Weinstein to become interim chief of staff.
“Mike Weinstein, who has served honorably under multiple Jacksonville mayors in a variety of roles, will begin a transition process to serve as interim chief of staff once Darnell Smith’s tenure with the City of Jacksonville is over,” Deegan said in a statement released Friday by the city.