Name: Mayor Jerry L. Demings
Game Honored: Orlando Magic vs. Utah Jazz (2/27/2021)
Background: Mayor Jerry L. Demings was sworn in on Dec. 4, 2018 as the fifth elected Mayor of Orange County and is the first African American to serve in the role. He oversees more than 8,000 Orange County employees and a $4.4 billion budget as the county’s chief executive officer. His goal is to make Orange County the “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” by creating a community culture of innovation, collaboration and inclusiveness.
Always a trailblazer, Demings became Orlando’s first African American police chief in 1998 and was elected the first African American Orange County Sheriff in 2008. He was re-elected in 2012 and again in 2016. An Orlando native, Mayor Demings is married to former Orlando Police Chief Valdez B. Demings, who also made history as the first female police chief in Orlando. In November 2016, she was elected to the 115th Session of the United States Congress and was re-elected in 2018. Congresswoman Demings represents Florida Congressional District 10. They have three sons who are all graduates of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
A lifelong public servant, Mayor Demings is a graduate of Jones High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Orlando College. He is a graduate of the 194th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy and studied at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Demings currently serves on several regional boards of directors, including the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Central Florida Expressway Authority, Metroplan Orlando, Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority/Lynx, Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, Orange County Tourist Development Council, Orlando Economic Partnership and he is involved in numerous civic organizations. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and is a steward at Saint Mark AME Church in Orlando. He has a passion for working with organizations that support children and volunteers with several non-profit agencies.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Initiative: In the spirit of bringing the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to unincorporated areas of Orange County and surrounding communities, Demings created the first Orange County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Initiative. Dr. King’s lifelong commitment to civil rights, nonviolence, and justice for all remains promising in today’s society and through inclusiveness and collaboration, this initiative will attempt to commemorate his work and legacy for years to come. As part of the year-round initiative, a group of volunteer citizens engage in activities and forums as well as make recommendations to the county about public policy decisions.
“My passion as a public servant is to provide the type of servant that the citizens want to have their government engaged in,” Demings said. The best way that we can ensure that that happens is to include them into the decision-making process. So, for the balance of my time as mayor or as a public servant that’s what I will do.”
Working with the Magic: Throughout his time as a public servant, Demings has worked on numerous activities and programs with the Magic.
Most recently, he’s worked with Magic CEO Alex Martins on the county’s economic recovery task force, assisted in the team’s efforts to turn Amway Center into an early voting registration location, and hosted a Virtual Town Hall event with Michael Carter-Williams to provide a platform for local teens and young adults to voice their concerns on race relations, diversity, and inclusion.
While his sons were growing up, he served as Jr. Magic coach and is appreciative of the impact that the team has had on health and wellness in the community.
“The Magic have been instrumental in the creation of the Orange County Magic gymnasiums that are strategically located throughout the county and provide a community venue for meetings, athletic programs, educational programs, and other things to occur as people focus on fitness and health and wellness,” said Demings. “They serve as an invaluable asset to Orange County residents.”
Clifford on Demings: “(He’s been) incredibly supportive and anxious to work, obviously, to make our community a better place. Also, he’s a big basketball fan. I know (our players) enjoyed that also. (He’s) someone that I feel we’re fortunate to have in our area and is always looking for different ways that he can make (Orange County) a better place. … Mayor Demings, he’s a homerun for us.”
Game Changers Program: “I think it’s a stroke of genius by coach Clifford to have embraced this movement of social justice reform,” Demings said. “It demonstrates leadership and compassion for the community that gives so much to the Magic and the Magic in turn is giving back in (multiple) ways. These are tough issues. These are emotional issues. This past year has been an emotional period of time for all of us and with some of the police-misconduct issues that happened without having the right people engaged to bridge the gap, pull the community together for the good of the community, we would be lost. So, coach Clifford has expended some personal time to give back to the community and ensure the success of the community.”
About the Program: As part of the Magic and Clifford’s continuing efforts toward social justice reform, he created the Social Justice Game Changer program to honor one local leader who has made a difference in the realm of social justice issues. A cause close to his heart, Clifford is extremely active in programs that support equality and justice for all people in the Central Florida community.
Through this program, Clifford looks to put the spotlight on those continuously doing the hard work, day in and day out, fighting for sustainable change. As part of his program, one person is selected and honored each game. The honorees are given tickets, provided by Clifford, to the game and featured in-arena on the Magic Vision screen at center court.
“The purpose is to honor and to celebrate so many of the people in the Orlando community who are fighting for change and who commit their lives to making Orlando a better place,” Clifford said. “It’s just a way to celebrate them, what they stand for, and what they do for our community.”