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Barry Benjamin- Chairman
Commissioner
Commission Seat Group 4
Commissioner Barry Benjamin grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and has been a resident of St. Johns County for over 18 years. He is currently serving his third term as Commissioner having first been elected in 2000. He served as Vice Chair of the Port Authority from 2006 through 2008 and is currently serving as the Chairman.
Barry has been a professional sales and service manager for over 30 years. His prior experience includes serving as the General Manager and Vice President of his family business of over 146 retail stores. Commissioner Benjamin is a licensed yacht broker and is Vice President of A1A Yachts Brokers. In addition he owns and operates a 100+ slip marina.
Commissioner Benjamin has been a member of the Management Advisory Group of the Guana Tolomato Reserve since 2000. He is also the Port Authority Liaison for Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) and is a Code Enforcement Officer for St. Johns County.
For pleasure, Barry and his wife, Carol Ann, a successful Realtor, enjoy cruising the Caribbean and have logged over 40,000 nautical miles. Barry enjoys meeting and maintaining contact with officials of foreign port authorities They reside in Palencia. |
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Carl Blow - Vice Chairman
Commissioner Group 5, 2006-2010
Carl Blow was born in Jacksonville and has lived in St Johns County for over 15 years. Carl is a commercial real estate property manager and real estate consultant. He is a licensed Florida General Contractor and Real Estate Broker. He is a member of the Planning & Zoning Board for the City of St Augustine. Carl received two bachelor degrees from the University of North Florida (BBA – Finance & BS – Building Construction Technology). Carl grew up on the St Johns River where he water skied and sailed from the family home. He has worked in the marine industry delivering vessels from the Caribbean to the US and has been involved in marine salvage operations. He holds a current USCG Masters License with endorsements. Carl currently owns a 29’ fishing vessel and a 14’ Laser sail boat. His goals are to develop new public boat ramps and improve existing boat ramps, restore and maintain our navigation channels, develop more offshore fishing reefs and maintain the quality of our beaches. |
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Gerald Dixon
Commission Seat Group 1 – Four Year Term expires November 2010
Commissioner Dixon was first elected in 1998 and is currently serving his third term. Jerry first sailed to St. Augustine in 1977 and has lived in the city since 1987. He has a Masters Degree in Architecture from the University of Colorado and is a principle in the firm of Dixon and Associates / Architects headquartered in St. Augustine. Currently he is also a member of the City Planning and Zoning Board, the City Traffic and Parking Committee, St. Johns County Intergovernmental Committee. Jerry is also a twenty year member to the St. Augustine Yacht Club, he has spent over 30 years on the districts waters. Currently he sails a Island Packet 44 and is restoring a Shock 36 IOR racing sail boat. |
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Tom Rivers- Commissioner
Commission Seat Group 2 – Four Year Term expires November 2008
Tom Rivers was elected to the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach Commission in November of 2004. He is a graduate of the St. Johns River Community College and the University of Florida and taught in the public schools of Clay and St. Johns Counties from 1969 to 1978. Since 1978 he has been an active Realtor and is now working as a Broker Associate in Olde Carriage Realty's downtown office. He served on the St. Johns County School Board from 1980 through 1984 and was School Board Chairman 1983-84. During that same time period he served on the Property Appraisers Tax Adjustment Board. In 1995 he was appointed to represent St. Johns County on the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council, serving through 2001. Rivers is a member of Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine and is an ordained Elder as well as assistant organist. He has 5 children and 5 grandchildren, with 2 more on the way. He is also a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and frequently hosts exchange students. |
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Jay Bliss - Commissioner Group 3, 2006-2010.
Jay Bliss joins the Board in 2006. He brings maritime experience from sailing the Americas, the Caribbean, and New Zealand, along with a broad knowledge of port management in those diverse areas. In our local waters, he volunteers as an active director for SPARS, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching area youth the basics of sailing. Bliss is a member of the Marine Industry Association, a licensed USCG captain, and holds sailing instructor certifications from USSA and ASA through level 205.
Concerning St. Augustine, Bliss has this to offer:
The pressures of Florida growth will increase exponentially on our marine community. Enforcement of existing boating regulations; maintaining our working waterfronts; maintaining and expanding public access to the water; working actively and cooperatively with the many agencies whose authority extends to the marine community—these are strategic requirements that are essential. I look forward to serving our community in achieving these goals. Please attend Port meetings and voice your concerns and ideas.
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