Downtown Investment Authority

Melinda B. Powers is a native of Detroit, Michigan and has spent the majority of the last 25 years in Florida and the last 13 of them in Jacksonville. She is an advocate for downtown development and has been involved in the small business community in Jacksonville for the last 10 years. She has worked for the state of Florida as an attorney with the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) and Citizens Property Insurance as well as with UNF as a Business Consultant at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). She believes in the impact that small business can have in downtown having been an owner and consultant. She currently serves as the Founder and CEO of Intentional Professionals to help women business owners to create maximum value in their businesses by scaling, selling, or franchising.
 
Currently, Ms. Powers is a licensed attorney in the state of Florida, holds a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School, a master’s degree in business management from UNF and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management also from UNF. She is also a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and business etiquette coach.
 
Ms. Powers is an alumnus of Leadership Jacksonville and currently serves on the board of Scenic Jacksonville as the Governance co-chair. She has also served on several other nonprofit boards including the Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation Shircliff Society, River City Education Organization, Jax Chamber’s Downtown Council and Junior League of Jacksonville.