Dennis Whittle is the CEO and president of the Jacksonville Civic Council (JCC). He is a founder of several organizations credited with major innovations in international aid, philanthropy, public sector feedback loops, and experiential education. He has advised many private companies and public organizations seeking to be world leaders in a rapidly changing environment.

Whittle began his career in 1986 as an economist at the World Bank, where he oversaw large investment projects in Indonesia and Russia.  He was appointed Senior Partner of the Bank’s Strategy and Innovation Group in 1997, where his team created the Development Marketplace, a new open-source approach to finding and funding new ideas to promote economic growth and reduce poverty.

Based on his work at the World Bank, Whittle co-founded and was CEO of GlobalGiving, the first – and still largest – online crowdfunding platform for community-based projects.  To date, GlobalGiving has raised $1 billion from one million individual donors and 600 corporations for projects in 175 countries.

Whittle also co-founded and was CEO of Feedback Labs, a network of organizations committed to making citizen feedback loops the new normal in aid, development, and philanthropy.

Most recently, he co-founded Normal Next, which provides a new form of experiential learning that enables students to work on real problems facing society with real leaders in real time.

Whittle earned a bachelor’s degree at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar, and earned a master’s in public administration at Princeton University. He has served as visiting lecturer at Princeton, professor of the practice at UNC-Chapel Hill, and visiting scholar at NYU.

David Garfunkel serves as the Chief Program Officer for the Jacksonville Civic Council. With a deep commitment to community-driven change, he most recently served as President & CEO of LIFT JAX, where he led efforts to eradicate generational poverty on Jacksonville’s Eastside. David’s career also includes strategy advisory work with FSG, the Peace Corps, and Fonkoze in Haiti, with a focus on collective impact, economic development, and social innovation.

David holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and resides in Jacksonville with his wife, Stephanie, and their two daughters, Lucia and Eliza.

Alex Osborne has been the Director of Operations and Membership at The Jacksonville Civic Council since 2021, focusing on membership engagement, human resources, finance, and operations. She has experience in program development, stakeholder engagement, and relationship-building, with previous roles at The World Affairs Council of Jacksonville and Baptist Health Foundation. A sixth-generation Jacksonvillian, Alex holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida State University and lives in Atlantic Beach, enjoying time with family and friends.

Shelby Howick is the Director of Strategy at the Jacksonville Civic Council, where she leads EpicJax and other high-impact initiatives. With over a decade of experience spanning publishing, non-profit, and hospitality sectors, she brings a unique blend of strategic vision and creative problem-solving to her work.

A graduate of the University of Florida’s MBA program, Shelby specializes in project management, strategy, stakeholder engagement, and events. Passionate about transformative change, she works to position Jacksonville as a world-class destination of choice for businesses and families alike.

Outside of work, Shelby is an avid reader and spends her free time at the beach with her husband, 3-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.

Connor Oswald is the Director of Research at the Civic Council, where he leads research on municipal finance and other public policy aimed at improving Jacksonville.Connor previously served as Senior Manager of Data and Research at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, leading studies on literacy, teacher retention, and program evaluation. He also worked with Orange County Public Schools and the Texas Education Agency on large-scale research, external evaluations, and data interoperability.

He holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation from Florida State University, an M.A.T. from the University of North Florida, and a B.S. in Physics and Astrophysics from FSU, and is pursuing an Executive M.P.P. at Jacksonville University.

Outside of work, he enjoys long walks, audiobooks, and going to the movies.

Devynne Duke is a Project Manager at the Jacksonville Civic Council. A New Smyrna Beach native, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Florida with a degree in Political Science and International Studies. Prior to joining JCC, she served as Director of Operations and Programs at the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, overseeing staff, strategic planning, major initiatives, events and programs. Her background also includes interning with U.S. Department of State’s Mission to the United Nations and working at a local civil defense litigation law firm. Based in Riverside, Devynne enjoys walking around memorial park with her mini long-haired dachshund, Mochi.

A Jacksonville native, Rachael graduated from Florida State University in Spring 2024 with a degree in International Affairs and Political Science, along with a minor in General Business. During her time at FSU, she interned at the Data & Intelligence Analysis Lab, reporting on local events. She later interned with the Department of Defense’s Southern Command in the Strategy, Policy, and Plans Directorate (J6) in Miami. Now based in Neptune Beach, Rachael brings her analytical skills and policy experience to support the JCC’s mission.

Ashli spent more than a decade working as a designer, developer and creative director in both agency and corporate settings, designing and building experiences for large retailers and Fortune 500 companies like Bath & Body Works, DSW, Abercrombie & Fitch, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s and more.

Today, Ashli owns Basis, a creative studio that offers branding, website design and development for retail brands. With a background in both design + web development, she is proud to support JCC with all visual branding needs.