JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – You may not recognize the name Sam Mousa, but many are aware of his work around the city of Jacksonville.
Mayor Lenny Curry's chief administrative officer is stepping down after serving under five Jacksonville mayors. Mousa has worked 20 years with the city.
Starting as a city engineer, eventually Mousa was promoted to the director of public works, and under former Mayor John Delaney, he became the chief administrative officer. Mousa did not serve under Mayor Alvin Brown but returned to public service when Curry took office.
"One of the things I am proud of is, I can look and say I had my fingers involved in many facilities both in the downtown area and around the county," Mousa said.
Mousa said he made one of his biggest accomplishments when he was working with Mayor John Peyton. He was there to help get the much-delayed and controversial Duval County Courthouse back on target for completion.
"It's a gorgeous building," Mousa said. "It's a project that had struggled through the years with regard to funding delays. So I was pretty proud to have gotten that one going."
Many will recall his work with the stadium. In the mid '90s, he was involved in the Gator Bowl Stadium revamp and managed elements within the new sports complex. He's also helped with the arena and ballpark.
News4Jax asked Mousa if he ever plans to run for office.
"No. Never," Mousa said. "I am a doer. I let others set the vision, set the policy and I guess that's what I've enjoyed about my job."