We are excited to announce that Nassau County’s Director of Strategic Advancement Brandy Carvalho was one of 20 women selected for the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Women of Influence Award. This award recognizes extraordinary women who have great impact on their communities in Northeast Florida either through professional success, community involvement and volunteerism.
The Board of County Commissioners is proud to employ an outstanding woman who has positively impacted all three areas. Brandy has a long history of volunteerism in Nassau including, but not limited to, the Nassau County Education Foundation; Keep Nassau Beautiful; the Conservation Land Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Committee; Baptist Nassau Board of Directors; St. Marys River Keeper; the Nassau Racial Equality Coalition; and as a mentor through Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Upon being selected, Brandy stated, “I greatly appreciate the honor, and really took it as an opportunity to showcase Nassau County and the amazing work being done in and for our community as a whole.”
As Director of Strategic Advancement, Brandy has led the County’s efforts in increasing public engagement, enhancing civic engagement, and improving transparency. She facilitated the County’s Bicentennial initiative in 2024 to bring the community together to celebrate the County’s 200th birthday while using these events as opportunities to engage with residents and obtain their feedback as the County prepares for the next 25 years. She has also led the efforts of the County’s Conservation and Land Acquisition (CLAM) Program and established the County’s new non-profit organization, Imagine Nassau, which will focus on fundraising for four key areas including Nassau County Animal Services, Nassau County Fire Rescue, Nassau County Parks & Recreation and land conservation.
Though not outward facing, Brandy has made other significant impacts within the County organization. She meticulously tracks the Board’s identified strategic priorities to ensure that directives are being carried out and that progress is being monitored and recorded for increased transparency. Brandy was also instrumental in creating and facilitating the County’s Internal Leadership Program. This consisted of identifying employees with leadership abilities and providing a series of classes and activities to enhance those abilities. This is beneficial to the County and the employee as it boosts their sense of pride by being identified as a potential future leader.
County Manager Taco Pope stated, “The citizens of Nassau County are lucky to have Brandy working hard for them. It will be exciting to see what she accomplishes in the coming years.”
As a life-long resident of Nassau County, Brandy has firsthand knowledge of the various issues facing the community. Her unique combination of skills in management, fundraising, volunteerism and community relations has had a positive impact on the County government and the residents of Nassau County.
Please join us in congratulating Brandy on her accomplishment of being named as one of twenty Women of Influence in Northeast Florida for 2025.