Jean Grimsley

Jeanmarie Grimsley

Co-Organizer & Executive Producer
A Washington, D.C. native, Jean came to Jacksonville via New York, where she was a book editor at Time Warner and then Penguin Books. Specializing in commercial fiction and non-fiction, she has worked with over 100 published authors, including many with extended stays on the NYT bestseller list. In recent years, she has committed herself to neighborhood activism and community service, serving as marketing & outreach coordinator on several boards, including Riverside Avondale Preservation and The Jacksonville Historical Society. In addition to her work with TEDxJacksonville, which dates to the group’s inception, she holds leadership positions in local non-profits, including The St. Vincent’s Healthcare Foundation.  Jean believes that nurturing a sense of connection — both amongst ourselves and within our larger local and national communities — is vital to our personal and civic health. Her husband, Richard, is a surgeon with OrthoEdge; their twins, Sophie and Nick, are completing their senior years in college.