Contact: David Garfunkel, Chief of Public Affairs David@JaxCivicCouncil.com; 617.935.2791
Connor Oswald, Ph.D. Joins the Jacksonville Civic Council as Director of Research
(Jacksonville, Fla. 12/2/25) A fifth-generation Floridian, Connor Oswald, Ph.D. will lead research for the Jacksonville Civic Council, a member-based nonprofit organization that drives change by researching the city’s most pressing challenges, advocating for forward-thinking public policy, and powering strategic execution.
“Our vision to elevate Jacksonville to a world-class city relies on our understanding of where we are today and what strategic levers we need to engage to move our city forward,” said Dennis Whittle, CEO & President for Jacksonville Civic Council. “Connor’s expertise, along with his love of Jacksonville, will be vital in informing our work.”
A proud product of Duval County Public Schools, Dr. Oswald earned his Ph.D. in Education Policy and Evaluation from Florida State University. He also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Florida and a B.S. in Physics and Astrophysics from Florida State University. He is currently pursuing an Executive Master of Public Policy at Jacksonville University.
Dr. Oswald was formerly Senior Manager of Data and Research at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, leading studies on literacy, teacher retention, and program evaluation across multi-million-dollar portfolios. His earlier experience includes roles with the Orange County Public Schools and the Texas Education Agency.
He is also the founder of TRIDENT—Transformative Research in Impact, Data, Evaluation, and Nonprofit Transparency— a subscription-based research and evaluation institute to support nonprofit evaluation capacity across Northeast Florida and beyond.
According to Dr. Oswald, “I am honored to join the Jacksonville Civic Council team and work alongside such respected civic leaders and innovators. Applying my training, skills and experience to this transformative work for the city of love is really a dream come true.”
About the Jacksonville Civic Council
The Jacksonville Civic Council is a group of business and civic leaders with diverse backgrounds who have a common vision: To make Jacksonville a world-class destination of choice for families, individuals, graduates and businesses. Learn more at jaxciviccouncil.com and follow on LinkedIn.