Daily Record FINANCIAL NEWS &
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017
Vol. 104, No. 075 • Two SecTioNS
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Delaney retiring as UNF president
Former mayor has option to lead center on campus
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
John Delaney, president of the University of North Florida since 2003, announced this morning he will retire when his contract expires May 30, 2018. Delaney’s contract allows him to lead a center at UNF after he retires, but he has not decided if he will pursue that option or other oppor-
tunities, according to a news release. Joy Korman, chair of the UNF Board of Trustees, praised Delaney’s accomplishments leading the institution. “John’s leadership has propelled UNF beyond all expectations,” she said of Delaney, who is the longestserving president in the university’s history. During his tenure, the release said, academic achievement has sig-
nificantly improved: • The average high school GPA of incoming students in 2003 was 3.6 and the average SAT score was 1145. This past fall, the average GPA was 4.17 and the average SAT score was 1208. • UNF had 37 accredited programs in 2003 — now there are 54. • The number of doctoral degrees awarded by UNF has increased 76 percent in the past 14 years.
‘It’s a different calling. It’s more of a ministry.’ Brandenburg has spent life helping grieving families
• Since Delaney took over, enrollment has risen 14 percent to nearly 16,000 students. • UNF has the sixth-highest graduation rate in the U.S. among public, urban regional universities. • When he retires, Delaney will have awarded 55 percent of the 95,459 degrees granted at UNF since the school opened in 1972. His accomplishments in helping DELANEY CONT INUED ON PAGE A-6
Regency closing merger this week
Joseph A. “Jody” Brandenburg is president of Hardage-Giddens Funeral Homes and Cemeteries.
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
Shareholders of Regency Centers Corp. on Friday approved the company’s $4.6 billion merger with Equity One Inc., clearing the way to close the deal this week. Regency will be the surviving company of the merger between the two companies that specialize in developing and operating shopping centers anchored by supermarkets. The company will remain headquartered in Jacksonville with Regency’s senior management continuing to run it. The merger is expected to be completed Wednesday. Meanwhile, in light of the merger, S&P Dow Jones Indices is adding Regency to the Standard & Poor’s 500 index this week. Inclusion in the bellwether stock index will increase the company’s visibility on Wall Street. Regency is swapping places with pharmaceutical company Endo International, which will take Regency’s spot in the S&P MidCap 400. “Post acquisition, Regency Centers is expected to have a market capitalization more representative of the large cap market space. Endo International is ranked near the bottom of the S&P 500 and has a market capitalization more representative of the mid-cap market space,” S&P Dow Jones said in a news release. Regency will become part of the S&P 500 at the opening of trading Thursday.
Joseph A. “Jody” Brandenburg is a Jacksonville leader who many people know through his community service, but who most people encounter at the end of a life. He is the president of Hardage-Giddens Funeral Homes and Cemeteries, comprising 11 funeral establishments, six cemeteries and a cremation facility. The organization employs about 165 people in Jacksonville. Brandenburg, 73, has been a leader in the Jacksonville death-care industry for almost 30 years and joined the profession more than 50 years ago. You’ve met with thousands of area families during their saddest hours. How do you train to professionally approach each situation? We have a rigorous course of indoctrination and through our affiliation with the Dignity Memorial network, we have Dignity University. We’re so fortunate to have in-house opportunities to do our training. As the leader, what do you personally teach your staff? The first thing we look for is the ability to communicate. Communication is not just the ability to talk. We’re working with families on their saddest days, and we have to have the ability to listen and then determine how we can best serve their needs.
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Photos by Fran Ruchalski
‘Opposite day’ at CSX, Bloomberg columnist says
You were born in South Florida. Did you grow up there? Everybody knows Miami. Most people know Homestead. Some people know Florida City. If you go below Florida City, you’re almost into the Brandenburg stands in the hall of the Oaklawn Cemetery facility, which is lined with SUCCESS CONTINUED ON PAGE A-8 the flags of the different branches of the service.
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Delaney
A Bloomberg News columnist had an interesting take on the ongoing effort of Hunter Harrison to become CEO of Jacksonville-based CSX Corp. “It’s opposite day at CSX Corp., where BASCH CONTINUED ON PAGE A-11
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