Dr. Gary Lee Webber Elected President of the Developing Artists Foundation Board
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts graduate, local pastor and regional theatre performer to lead efforts to support the arts, with priority of supporting Douglas Anderson School of the Arts’ critical arts needs
Jacksonville, Fla. –– Sep. 10, 2026 –– With a new school year underway, the Developing Artists Foundation Board of Directors proudly announces the election of a new president, Dr. Gary Lee Webber.
The 1990 graduate of Douglas Anderson School of Arts (DA) has served as a board member for the DA Foundation since 2024. He and his wife Sheri Leonard Webber, a fellow DA alumni, have raised four children who also graduated from the school. His election as DA Foundation president brings his journey full circle — from student, to parent and now a leading supporter of arts education and opportunities in Northeast Florida.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Webber grew up in Jacksonville and earned a degree in Music Education from Jacksonville University. Webber has further honed his creative practice at the Alhambra Theatre & Dining and Theatre Jacksonville. His credits include “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Les Miserables,” “The Sound of Music” and “My Fair Lady.”
“I was an eighth grader at Douglas Anderson the day it opened as an arts magnet in 1985, so this school has been part of my story from the very beginning,” said Webber. “The opportunities I received at DA profoundly shaped my life, and the school has continued to make an immeasurable impact on my family. I am honored to help ensure that the legacy of Douglas Anderson continues and that exceptional public arts education remains an option for every child in Northeast Florida. The arts give young people a place to discover their gifts, develop confidence and learn the discipline required to pursue excellence. It is a privilege to support the teachers, artists and students who will carry that legacy into the future.”
Webber serves as senior pastor of Aspire Church San Marco, a role he has held since 2008. He answered a call to ministry early in life, earning a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages at Southwestern Seminary before serving in various churches in Texas, Georgia and Alabama, before returning to Florida. Webber also earned a Doctor of Ministry from Beeson Divinity School in 2015. His patronage of the arts has included serving as the chairman of the School Advisory Council of both LaVilla School of the Arts and Julia Landon College Preparatory School.
Webber’s leadership of the DA Foundation coincides with an exciting season of growth for schools like DA and LaVilla School of the Arts. DA welcomed 1,060 students in August. Upcoming stage productions will include “Les Misérables,” “Antigone” and the school’s 40th annual Extravaganza — a signature event funded by the DA Foundation — on February 13, 2027. The Foundation also will continue to partner with LaVilla School of the Arts and ArtsUNF.
“Dr. Webber has earned enormous respect from the board and the city’s artistic community at large, as he brings a 360-degree perspective of the Douglas Anderson experience to the table,” said Jackie Cornelius, Executive Director of the Developing Artists Foundation. “His unique experience as a student, parent, volunteer and performer provides a strong foundation from which to advocate for the arts on every stage. Gary will represent the Foundation well with our patrons, donors and partners. The Foundation’s work is more critical than ever, as it seeks to cultivate students’ gifts and talents in Jacksonville and beyond.”
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About the Developing Artists Foundation:
The DA Foundation, a nonprofit corporation created in 1987, is committed to supporting the arts with a priority of supporting Douglas Anderson School of the Arts’ (DA) critical art’s needs. As in most specialized arts schools the arts needs go far beyond what an individual parent-support group or the school district is able to fund, specifically in regard to the demanding arts departments’ needs; such as, master arts classes, collaborative partnerships, specialized arts equipment and projects, summer arts scholarships, arts teacher fellowships, arts events, public relations and arts programming. The DA Foundation is committed to providing critical funding necessary to ensure that the school is able to meet its mission of supporting arts in our community and providing DA students “cutting-edge” training and intensive arts study, as well as to ensure that DA’s arts programs meet the standards set by our nation’s top arts conservatories, art institutes and universities.
