Northside Business Leaders

June 23, 2010

July’s interview was done with Alberta Hipps of The Hipps Group. Be sure to watch the two videos! 

Alberta was born in the old St. Luke Hospital right here in Jacksonville. She was raised in the Picketville/Dinsmore area, and is proud to say she is a native of Duval County. She attended Paxon Senior High School, and married in 1961.  She remembers when Jacksonville consolidated. She believes it was a good thing for us overall. Probably the most disappointing thing was that city services (water & sewer) did not come to some of the rural areas. She contends consolidation saved money. 

In 1969, Alberta attended Nursing School at FJC (as it was called then). She took one course at a time, and completed all of her requirements in 1974. She started working at Baptist Hospital, and then went to St. Vincent’s. She worked there for 17 years. 

In 1995, Alberta decided to change careers. Cecil Field was closing, and the City Councilman in her district thought that turning it into “the biggest prison in Florida” was the best way to spur economic development in the area. Alberta did not agree with this, so she left the nursing profession and ran for City Council and won. 

In 2001, Alberta became the City Council President. I asked her what her biggest accomplishments were at that time. She replied there were two: The Better Jacksonville Plan was passed, and the Airport and JaxPort were split. The idea was that each organization could focus on their strategic plans. We saw evidence of the benefits of splitting the two on September 11, 2001. 

The Hipps Group was founded in August, 2004. They work for businesses large and small, navigating them through zoning, concurrency, and due diligence. She lobbies the City Council on behalf of her clients. Her daughter, Lara Tanier, works with her. She enjoys this very much.

Disappointingly, we did not get to see Cooper, the dog. I had interview questions for him as well.

Alberta answered questions about her position on Amendment Four, and the Internet Cafes that have been in the news lately. She is against Amendment Four because it will slow economic development. Any change in Land Use would have to go to a vote by the people, instead of going through the procedures already in place. 

The Internet Cafes are not regulated, taxes are not being paid, and Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling have seen an increase in calls because of the convenience of the sites.

Click here for Amendment Four & Internet Cafes Video.

To learn more, you may visit reportillegalgambling.com.

What does Alberta do in her spare time? She enjoys spending time on her farm and with her family. 

Thank you Alberta for your hospitality, and for entering the “Spotlight.” As always, thanks to Paul Forte for videotaping the interview.

George Corey & Alberta  

 Shannon Elian,  PropVoice Management