Joe with Jacksonville Giant Jason Bennett
Joe has been with Jacksonville Magazine since 1993. Yeah, that’s a long time. During those many years he’s seen the city expand and change. And Jax Mag’s various publications, special events and online products have grown right along with the Northeast Florida region.
Speaking of growing, so is his family—thanks to wife Emily and kids Celia and Griffin. Plus, we have two cats, Wallace and Davis, stray kittens that were found underneath the family’s house.
Joe’s likes: Flagler College, New York Yankees, steak frites, Elbow Cay, Modern Family, Angels & Airwaves, his iPad and getting caught in the rain. Dislikes: Twitter, poor grammar, gas prices, white wine, Jersey Shore and people with half a brain (is that redundant?).
For more than a decade, Jacksonville Magazine has partnered with a number of professional organizations in an effort to bring our readers the city's most respected service providers practicing in a variety of professions, including doctors, lawyers, wealth managers and dentists. 
Nearly 2,000 Readers cast a ballot in this year's poll. Here are their selections of over 100 people, places and things we love (or love to hate) in the Bold New City of the South, including hair salon, bar eats, organic foods, dance club, pet stuff and more. 
Hello Joe,
TURN IT UP is the autobiography of Ron Eckerman’s two years tour managing legendary Southern Rock band and Jacksonville natives Lynyrd Skynyrd during the mid 1970′s.The book explores in great detail the characters and relations between Ron, front man Ronnie Van Zant and the rest of the band and crew during their time together on the road.The book culminates with events surrounding the tragic death of Ronnie Van Zant and six other band and crew members in a plane crash on October 20, 1977. Ron was on that fateful flight and survived although severely injured.Part of the book is a direct account of the horrors of that crash and its aftermath. It is a great read and offers a unique perspective and an intimate portrayal on the short life of a very talented group of individuals changing the world amidst a great musical and cultural era in our history.For additional information on the book please refer to our You Tube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/turnitupbook
Sincerely,
AJ Barton-Social Media Director-TURN IT UP
Mr. White:
I am writing in my capacity as the President of the Jacksonville Bar Association in reaction to the cover of the April 2012 issue of Jacksonville Magazine. The issue purports to feature an article about \Jax Best Lawyers\ and portrays on the cover an unprofessionally dressed and seductively posed woman in front of a book case of law books. Small print on the contents page of the magazine reflects that the woman is not one of Jax Best Lawyers or a lawyer at all; instead she is a model dressed, styled, adorned and posed by photographer Natalie McCray to represent to your readership what successful female lawyers in Jacksonville look like.
I am pleased to report, however, that your magazine’s representation is inaccurate. We have many successful female attorneys in Jacksonville, none of whom have reached success or could by flauting themselves as does the model on the cover. It is troubling that in 2012 an article identifying successful attorneys would suggest by its cover photograph that sex appeal is required for a women to succeed as a professional. We have come too far as a society to resort to such shallow and harmful stereotypes.
I am pleased to practice law with and against many female attoreys and to appear before many female judges. Each of these women have worked hard to suceed in their professions and to overcome the very insulting stereotype your magazine cover is attempting to perpetuate.
I appreciate that you are in the business of selling magazines. However, I encourage you going forward to consider the professionals, and young girls who aspire to be professionals, that you are disadvantaging and misleading.
Mike Freed
President, Jacksonville Bar Association
Hey there Joe,
I thought I’d drop you a line to connect. It was nice to meet you at the Jax Fashion Week sponsor event. Thanks for your contributions to helping make JFW such a success!
Kenny Harper
Key Theory Digital Marketing
kenny [at] keytheory.com