The Rev. Canon Dr. J. Allison DeFoor named to board in January 2020
Canon DeFoor is an Episcopal priest who serves as Canon to the Ordinary to the Bishop of the Diocese of Florida, seated in Jacksonville. He served as a priest in four prisons in the Tallahassee area and as an assisting priest at Grace Mission, an inner-city mission in Tallahassee. Canon DeFoor has earned degrees in law, criminology and theology. He has an extensive background in criminal justice, having previously served as a prosecutor, public defender, judge, and as the elected Sheriff of Monroe County. In addition, Canon DeFoor is a former law professor and the founding chair of the Project on Accountable Justice at Florida State University.
Canon DeFoor is also a well-known conservationist, a businessman and Florida historian. He was named as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in America and was a recipient of the Chairman’s Award from the Audubon Society. As a member of the Governor’s Growth Study Commission, South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force and Governor’s Commission for Sustainable Florida, he has taken a leadership role in negotiating programs for Everglades Restoration. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida, Stetson Law School and the South Florida Center for Theological Studies.
Canon DeFoor has served on the board of Episcopal Children’s Services since 2015, and served on the Memorial Park Association Board of Directors. He is married to Jacksonville City Councilwoman Randy DeFoor.
Interesting Fact – Canon DeFoor is a seventh generation Floridian.
