Virginia D. "Ginny" Myrick is a Senior Policy Advisor with Holland & Knight for government relations with a focus on local government. In particular, her practice focuses on land use, mixed use development and large scale commercial development, downtown redevelopment, legislative issues, particularly water policy and environmentally sensitive land issues and government incentives for corporate relocations and expansions. She has also represented several of the largest underground utility rehabilitation companies in North America and has specific experience in county government in Florida.
Ms. Myrick served from 1987-1994 as a County Commissioner for Duval County in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to sponsoring noteworthy legislation, she distinguished her tenure by emphasizing extensive urban park restoration using public/private contributions and was a founder of the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, chairing that board for two years. She also was a partner in a private corporate meeting planning company for seven years while serving on the City Council and a republican Florida Senate candidate in 1994.
While serving as the Director of State Legislation and a member of the Executive Staff for Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney from 1994-1998, Ms. Myrick headed the Jacksonville team of lobbyists involved in policy and legislative issues in the Florida Legislature. She was responsible for repayment of over $16.5 million to the City of Jacksonville for the decommissioning of the Cross Florida Barge Canal; an unprecedented vote reversal of the Public Service Commission which would have negatively impacted international business; and formed a bi-partisan coalition that defeated legislation that would have prohibited American Heritage River designation of the St. Johns River.
Following the mayor's executive staff position, Ms. Myrick was recruited to serve as Vice President of Government Relations for the Jacksonville Port Authority. She worked at the federal, state and local legislative levels, focusing particularly in tax, Brownfield, infrastructure, transportation and international trade issues for Jacksonville's seaport and four airports. She secured a two-year $5 million property tax relief allocation from local government for airport and seaport tenants.
Ms. Myrick has chaired many local non-profit groups including the Jacksonville Museum of Science and History and the American Red Cross. She is a frequent speaker at state and national conferences on local government issues and is called on to speak and moderate local political events.