Jacksonville Port Authority Chief Operating Officer James Bennett died Monday morning in a car crash, JaxPort confirmed to News4JAX.

In a statement, JaxPort spokesperson Chelsea Kavanagh wrote that the organization’s employees and leadership are deeply saddened by Bennett’s unexpected passing.

“James dedicated his life to improving the quality of life for people in Northeast Florida, and our entire community is better for his service,” Kavanagh wrote.

Bennett oversaw JaxPort’s two largest departments—Operations and Engineering—and as a member of the leadership team was the liaison for many of the port’s partners. He had worked for JaxPort since 2017 and became COO in 2022.

Details of the crash have not yet been confirmed.

“James brought extraordinary dedication, skill, and heart to ev

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