Mary Kelli Palka is director of strategic communications for the University of North Florida.
She served as executive editor of The Florida Times-Union from 2017 to 2022, when she retired from journalism after nearly 30 years.
The first woman and first Jacksonville native to lead the Times-Union, she spent nearly two decades at the paper, which she joined in 2003 as a news reporter. She went on to serve as investigations editor and managing editor before assuming the paper’s top management role.
Before leaving journalism, Palka served as Gannett’s market leader for Jacksonville and deputy regional editor for its North Florida papers, overseeing newsrooms in Daytona Beach, Gainesville, St. Augustine, Ocala and Leesburg, as well as Jacksonville.
Under her leadership, the Times-Union took on public corruption and explored important issues including racial inequality and juvenile justice while also covering nonprofits, education, the military, local businesses, high school sports, golf, Jaguars and other professional teams.
Palka’s leadership also extended to serving as president of The Florida Society of News Editors.
She was recognized as a Girl Scouts of Gateway Council Women of Distinction honoree in 2018, as GateHouse Media’s 2017 Editor of the Year, and as the 2015 recipient of the William S. Morris III Dedication Award from the Morris Publishing Group.
About Jacksonville Area Legal Aid
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is a nonprofit law firm focused on delivering economic, social, and housing justice to low-income and at-risk individuals and families on the First Coast.
If you are an attorney wanting to volunteer with probate and heirs property issues, contact JALA Pro Bono Director Aaron Irving, at (904) 356-8371, Ext. 363, or Aaron.Irving@jaxlegalaid.org.
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