Lex Hester
Encyclopedia
Lewis Alexander Hester, III (December 24, 1935 – October 7, 2000) was a public administrator in Jacksonville
, Florida
. He "was the consummate no-nonsense administrator, the very best in his field,” according to M. C. Harden III, past chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
, influential in designing the city government of Jacksonville and managing it through the terms of three of Jacksonville's mayors.
on December 24, 1935, but raised in Jacksonville Beach. He met his future wife, Kathy, at FSU and they married and had two girls, Danielle and Tracey. They were together over 40 years. Lex Hester suffered a heart attack and died on October 7, 2000 at age 64.
, where he earned the scholar-athlete award for the highest grade point average. He continued playing tennis after college and was a fierce competitor, receiving the "tennis player of the year" title from the Florida Tennis Association in 1990.
, Hester was working as a wage and child labor investigator for the United States Department of Labor
when the Florida legislature created the Local Government Study Commission (LGSC). Their goal was to reform Jacksonville’s corrupt, inefficient government, and Lex Hester was hired as the executive director in 1965, with J.J. Daniel
as chairman.
In November, 1966, a grand jury indicted 11 Jacksonville Public Officials on 142 counts of bribery and larceny including:
The city tax assessor took the Fifth Amendment
, refused to testify, and resigned. No indictments were handed down against the police & sheriff departments, but it was common knowledge that misconduct occurred.
The LGSC produced a consolidation proposal titled, Blueprint for Improvement that was placed on a referendum in 1967, with Lex Hester coordinating the campaign for passage. The indictments the previous year convinced the voters that a major change was necessary and the referendum passed. According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, "Hester was the key architect of Jacksonville's consolidated government
and was the transition coordinator and chief administrative officer" following consolidation.
's chief administrator from 1968-1975. During that time, according to The Florida Times-Union, his guidance "provided for a better and more effective fire and rescue service, with unified command, control and coordination throughout the city and county." Hester was known for his shrewd negotiations and the impartial hiring standards employed under his consolidation. This ended the cronyism
and nepotism
present in prior administrations.
In 1975, Hester accepted the job as county administrator for Broward County
for a substantial increase in salary. He stayed for three years before returning to Jacksonville in an unsuccessful campaign for mayor in early 1979. At the start of that summer, he was hired by then Governor Bob Graham
to run the state energy office. He later spent several years administrating Orlando
's city government, followed by another term in Broward County.
In 1991, Jacksonville's newly elected Mayor Ed Austin
hired Hester to return to Jacksonville, in spite of recession offering him a substantial 42% raise in his previous salary to match the pay he had been receiving in South Florida. Austin, who later praised Hester's integrity and proficiency, credited Hester for substantial contributions to the River City Renaissance
. In addition, Hester contributed to a number of civil projects and improvements under mayors Austin and John Delaney
, including the Jacksonville Children's Commission. and the Better Jacksonville Plan
.
by the Florida Department of State in the Great Floridians 2000 Program. A plaque attesting to the honor is located at Jacksonville City Hall.
The Lex Hester Family Dining Room at the downtown I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless
was dedicated in honor of Lex Hester on May 14, 2001. Linda Lanier, executive director of the center stated that Hester had, "quietly—behind the scenes as usual—made sure the homeless center was part of the River City Renaissance plan, and also that long-range funding for the center was in place. ...[The] appropriate thing to do was to name the room in honor of the man who so richly deserves it."
On August 13, 2002, the Jacksonville City Council approved an expenditure of "$50,000 as seed money for a[n endowed] scholarship" at the University of North Florida
honoring Hester. UNF will "seek private donations for the fund", designated for students seeking a master's degree in public administration.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He "was the consummate no-nonsense administrator, the very best in his field,” according to M. C. Harden III, past chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, influential in designing the city government of Jacksonville and managing it through the terms of three of Jacksonville's mayors.
Personal
Hester was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on December 24, 1935, but raised in Jacksonville Beach. He met his future wife, Kathy, at FSU and they married and had two girls, Danielle and Tracey. They were together over 40 years. Lex Hester suffered a heart attack and died on October 7, 2000 at age 64.
Tennis
He "was a gifted tennis player, frequently ranked among the top 10 in Florida in his age group" and the No. 1 player at Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, where he earned the scholar-athlete award for the highest grade point average. He continued playing tennis after college and was a fierce competitor, receiving the "tennis player of the year" title from the Florida Tennis Association in 1990.
Consolidation
After graduating from Florida State University with a master's degree in public administrationPublic administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
, Hester was working as a wage and child labor investigator for the United States Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
when the Florida legislature created the Local Government Study Commission (LGSC). Their goal was to reform Jacksonville’s corrupt, inefficient government, and Lex Hester was hired as the executive director in 1965, with J.J. Daniel
J.J. Daniel
Jaquelin James Daniel , known professionally as J. J. Daniel, was an American lawyer, businessman, civic leader and newspaper publisher. Mostly forgotten in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was born and lived for most of his adulthood, he was once once of its most powerful people.-Family and early...
as chairman.
In November, 1966, a grand jury indicted 11 Jacksonville Public Officials on 142 counts of bribery and larceny including:
- 4 of 9 city councilmen
- 2 of 5 city commissioners
- the city auditor
- executive secretary of city recreation department
- 1 of 5 county commissioners
- the county purchasing agent
The city tax assessor took the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
, refused to testify, and resigned. No indictments were handed down against the police & sheriff departments, but it was common knowledge that misconduct occurred.
The LGSC produced a consolidation proposal titled, Blueprint for Improvement that was placed on a referendum in 1967, with Lex Hester coordinating the campaign for passage. The indictments the previous year convinced the voters that a major change was necessary and the referendum passed. According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, "Hester was the key architect of Jacksonville's consolidated government
Jacksonville Consolidation
The Jacksonville Consolidation was the city-county consolidation of the governments of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida. It was effected on October 1, 1968.-Background:...
and was the transition coordinator and chief administrative officer" following consolidation.
Administration
Hester served as Jacksonville Mayor Hans TanzlerHans Tanzler
Hans Gearhart Tanzler, Jr. is a former American politician and judge. He served as Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1967 to 1979. During his administration, the City of Jacksonville consolidated with Duval County, making him the last mayor of the old city government and the first mayor of a...
's chief administrator from 1968-1975. During that time, according to The Florida Times-Union, his guidance "provided for a better and more effective fire and rescue service, with unified command, control and coordination throughout the city and county." Hester was known for his shrewd negotiations and the impartial hiring standards employed under his consolidation. This ended the cronyism
Cronyism
Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy....
and nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
present in prior administrations.
In 1975, Hester accepted the job as county administrator for Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
for a substantial increase in salary. He stayed for three years before returning to Jacksonville in an unsuccessful campaign for mayor in early 1979. At the start of that summer, he was hired by then Governor Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
to run the state energy office. He later spent several years administrating Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
's city government, followed by another term in Broward County.
In 1991, Jacksonville's newly elected Mayor Ed Austin
Ed Austin
T. Edward "Ed" Austin, Jr. was an American politician and attorney. He served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1991 to 1995. He also served as the first Public Defender for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit from 1963 to 1968, and served as State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit from...
hired Hester to return to Jacksonville, in spite of recession offering him a substantial 42% raise in his previous salary to match the pay he had been receiving in South Florida. Austin, who later praised Hester's integrity and proficiency, credited Hester for substantial contributions to the River City Renaissance
River City Renaissance
River City Renaissance was a $235 million bond issue in 1993 by the city of Jacksonville, Florida which funded urban renewal in some of downtown's most rundown sections.-Plan:...
. In addition, Hester contributed to a number of civil projects and improvements under mayors Austin and John Delaney
John Delaney
John Adrian Delaney is an American lawyer, politician and university administrator. He currently serves as the president of the University of North Florida. A member of the Republican Party, he served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1995 to 2003...
, including the Jacksonville Children's Commission. and the Better Jacksonville Plan
Better Jacksonville Plan
The Better Jacksonville Plan is a growth management plan implemented by the city of Jacksonville, Florida. It was the signature project of Mayor John Delaney. It was approved by Jacksonville voters on September 5, 2000...
.
Honors
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce awarded him their Distinguished Citizen Award posthumously. He was also designated a Great FloridianGreat Floridians
Great Floridian is a title bestowed upon citizens in the state of Florida by the Florida Department of State. There were actually two formal programs...
by the Florida Department of State in the Great Floridians 2000 Program. A plaque attesting to the honor is located at Jacksonville City Hall.
The Lex Hester Family Dining Room at the downtown I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless
Sulzbacher Center
The Sulzbacher Center is the only comprehensive homeless facility in Jacksonville, Florida where the average stay is two months. A case manager works with every client to develop a plan to transition back into the community.-Roots:I.M...
was dedicated in honor of Lex Hester on May 14, 2001. Linda Lanier, executive director of the center stated that Hester had, "quietly—behind the scenes as usual—made sure the homeless center was part of the River City Renaissance plan, and also that long-range funding for the center was in place. ...[The] appropriate thing to do was to name the room in honor of the man who so richly deserves it."
On August 13, 2002, the Jacksonville City Council approved an expenditure of "$50,000 as seed money for a[n endowed] scholarship" at the University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
honoring Hester. UNF will "seek private donations for the fund", designated for students seeking a master's degree in public administration.