Staff leadership for the Cultural Council currently rests with Executive Director Diana Donovan, a former CCGJ board member appointed by Mayor Lenny Curry and CSGP Committee member, who resigned from those positions to take the helm of the organization as interim executive director in Sept. 2020 when the former Executive Director Joy Young resigned.  A board search committee was established to oversee a nationwide search for the next executive director.  Ultimately, the board selected Donovan for the permanent role.  

For six years, Donovan served in leadership roles at Jacksonville University, most recently as executive director of the Office of the President and Community Relations.  Previously, she worked in Mayor Alvin Brown’s administration.  She is a member of Leadership Jacksonville Class of ’21; recipient of JAX Chamber’s inaugural Hightower Fellowship; and the 2020 Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award.  Donovan serves on the board of the Women’s Center of Jacksonville and is a Delores Barr Weaver Fellow at the Women’s Giving Alliance. She is a graduate of Jacksonville University and is working towards an Executive Masters in Public Policy at J.U.

Donovan provides leadership for the Cultural Service Grant Program through her focus on advocacy, collaboration, and access. She is responsible for the overall management of agency operations, governance and board relations, fundraising, and fostering partnerships with external stakeholders.