Daily Record Financial News &
Friday, February 5, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 060 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Math ‘geek’ finds home at JEA Dykes happy to leave life on Wall Street behind
By Max Marbut Staff Writer Melissa Dykes had all intentions of becoming a biochemical engineer, but having to choose an elective course at the University of Florida changed her path. After graduating from high school at age 17, she selected economics and then changed her major after discovering her talent with mathematics could be applied to finance instead of developing new ways to manufacture pharmaceuticals or food additives.
“I’m a math person. I’m truly a geek,” said Dykes, JEA’s chief financial officer since 2013. She is responsible for all aspects of the utility’s finances, including budgeting, supply chain management and ensuring compliance with regulatory, reporting and tax requirements. She was hired by JEA as treasurer in 2012 and became its top financial executive a year later, after then-CFO Paul McElroy was named the utility’s managing partner and CEO. McElroy said Dykes’ position as treasurer put her on the com-
HRO bills narrowly escape early exit
mittee that conducted the national search for his replacement. By that time, she had developed over 10 years an “exceptional national reputation in the municipal bond marketplace,” McElroy said. The search process identified many qualified candidates, some with experience working for the most well-known utilities in the U.S., but the search committee concluded the top choice already had an office at JEA headquarters. “Melissa was clearly the best and most qualified person for the
CFO position — a decision which is confirmed every day,” McElroy said. Dykes got her first job in economics before she graduated from UF at age 20. She worked for the university’s Warrington College of Business Public Utility Research Center, where she helped research strategies for utility regulation and infrastructure policy. Dykes then was hired by The World Bank, where her focus was studying how private companies develop utility systems in Third Dykes continued on Page A-4
Dykes
Making a pitch to fix a problem
Public
University of North Florida junior Courtney Lynch presents her Embedded Within mentorship program to prepare high school students for college at Thursday’s inaugural Upstream initiative, facilitated by United Way of Northeast Florida. Lynch’s project was among two that received a $5,000 grant; a third project was awarded $2,500. Read about the students’ pitch party on Page A-3.
Macquarie opening with room to grow
Photo by Karen Brune Mathis
Neither bill determining how Jacksonville will decide to expand anti-discrimination laws were approved or denied Thursday. City Council member Tommy Hazouri said the fact they’re still on the table is a “little victory.” The first of three scheduled council meetings on the subject nearly became the last after a push was made to withdraw both bills that would chart the path on whether lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people should be added to the city’s anti-discrimination law. One deals with keeping the decision with elected officials. The other puts it on a ballot for voters. Council Vice President Lori Boyer advocated for a third option: Letting Mayor Lenny Curry’s directive to align the city’s employment policies with federal guidelines and require vendors to follow similar procedures be the only guiding principle. Curry made his stance on the issue public last week. Boyer said she wasn’t comfortable with either bill before council and agreed with Curry’s stance the city’s violent crime issue should be a top priority. The full impact of Curry’s directive isn’t known, she said, and should have a chance to be implemented in the coming months. So, she asked for a vote to withdraw Hazouri’s bill — the one that has elected leaders determining the anti-discrimination outcome. Bill Gulliford before had said he would withdraw his bill for a referendum if Hazouri’s proposal was withdrawn. And before any debate could take place, Matt Schellenberg called the question — a move that would have stymied discussion and immediately brought the issue to a vote. A flustered Hazouri — and many others it turned out — wanted to have that talk and voted against Schellenberg’s effort. “This is a cop out to me,” Hazouri said. HRO continued on Page A-4
Photo by Kevin Hogencamp
By David Chapman Staff Writer
Glen Skarott, deputy group financial controller with Macquarie Group, leads the setup of the company’s Jacksonville office.
legal notices begin on page
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Australia-based Macquarie Group already has expansion in mind on the Southbank, where it will open Monday. The global financial-services company will start with 60 employees on the fifth floor of Riverplace Tower, and anticipates reaching 85 by the end of March and 135 later this year. “We are anticipating success,” said Glen Skarott, deputy group financial controller. To prepare, it already has leased the fourth floor as it contemplates eventual growth. While it’s aspirational and Skarott said no number is confirmed, the two floors could accommodate a team of 250. Skarott is based at headquarters in Sydney, Australia, but will remain in Jacksonville for six months. He led the site search that ended in Jacksonville after the company considered 17 cities in five countries. Skarott, Macquarie executives and city and business leaders announced in July the company had chosen Jacksonville as a
Published
for
global banking shared-services office. The company decided to open in Riverplace Tower at 1301 Riverplace Blvd. The team will provide finance, accounting, tax and regulatory support and other services to Macquarie functions in the U.S. and in some European markets. The United States is a large growth market. The company has more than 70 offices in 28 countries. Its U.S. headquarters are in New York and it has offices around the states. In coming to Jacksonville, Macquarie Mathis continued on Page A-2
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