Sept 3rd, 2026 GUEST SPEAKER: Council President nick howland

Nick Howland is a Navy veteran, businessman, husband, and father. After earning his bachelor’s degree at Duke University in 1995, Nick served in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile destroyer USS CHANDLER and with Naval Special Warfare riverine unit SBU-22. Following his military service, he earned his MBA at the University of Chicago and joined defense systems manufacturer Raytheon Company.

Nick has more than 20 years of executive experience in the defense industry, with a focus on marine and defense survival products. In January 2007, he relocated his family to Jacksonville to join body armor manufacturer Armor Holdings, Inc. He has since held leadership roles as Managing Director of Survitec Group, President of Revere Survival, President of Patten Company, and has served on various local and international corporate boards.

 On the Jacksonville City Council, Nick currently serves as President. He previously chaired the Rules Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Jacksonville Waterways Commission. Prior to his election to City Council, he served on the City of Jacksonville’s Charter Revision Commission, the Environmental Protection Board, and the First Coast Manufacturers Association (FCMA) board. In 2019, he was appointed by the Secretary of Homeland Security to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee.

 

Currently, Nick serves as Executive Director of The Fire Watch, Florida’s initiative to end veteran suicide, and as a consultant to various marine and defense companies. In a unanimous vote, Nick Howland was recently elected as the next Council President of the Jacksonville City Council. He and his wife Malou are the proud parents of two sons, both of whom are currently students at the University of Florida.

To see legislation filed by Council Member Nick Howland, please click here.