Allison DeFoor

Allison DeFoor, formally James Allison DeFoor II, died on October 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida, at the age of 72.

He was the President and CEO of the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) and a leading figure in Florida's conservation movement, and had died from complications of pneumonia. He had been involved with the organization for eight years.

His death was announced by the land trust itself, and tributes quickly followed from political and civic leaders across Florida.

DeFoor's career ranged unusually widely across Florida public life.

A former assistant state attorney, DeFoor served as a Monroe County Judge at the age of 28, later served as a Circuit Judge, as well as Monroe County Sheriff.

In 1990 he ran for lieutenant governor of Florida as Gov. Bob Martinez's running mate

, a bid that was unsuccessful.

He also served as a law professor at the University of Miami and was a member of the board of governors of the Florida Bar.

He was Everglades Czar under Governor Jeb Bush on one of the state's largest environmental restoration projects and co-chaired Amendment 1, Florida's Water and Land Conservation Initiative, with former Governor and Senator Bob Graham.

The initiative passed with 74% of the vote in Florida and is the most significant land protection effort in history.

He carried that conservation work into his later role at the land trust, where

he helped broker multiple agreements among corporations, private landowners, government agencies and environmental groups that set aside hundreds of thousands of acres of protected land.

DeFoor was also an ordained Episcopal priest, a calling he pursued alongside his legal and political work.

As an ordained Episcopal priest, DeFoor served as Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of Florida and dedicated many years to prison ministry and chaplaincy.

DeFoor had collegiate degrees spanning criminology, law, geography and theology. He earned his doctorate at the South Florida Center for Theological Studies.

DeFoor served on numerous other boards including the Florida Chamber Foundation, Florida Historical Society, Associated Industries of Florida, and Florida Tax Watch, the Florida State College Foundation, Memorial Park Foundation, Episcopal Children's Services and Operation New Hope, among others.

In 2025,

Florida Trend named North Florida Land Trust President and CEO Allison DeFoor one of Florida's 500 most influential business leaders.

DeFoor died following complications of pneumonia after a brief illness.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan honored him, saying Jacksonville has lost a remarkable public servant and a true son of Florida.

Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said, "Sheriff DeFoor was an extraordinary public servant who committed his life to others. He is remembered for his outstanding leadership at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office as well as his devotion to the less fortunate."

Sarah Hande, the NFLT's Director of Strategic Communications, said the loss is hard for an organization that often reflected his personal passion for the environment, adding it's hard to quantify the loss that we feel.

DeFoor often said, "It is now or never," expressing his concern over Florida's disappearing natural lands and his belief that people could act to protect them.

DeFoor, a seventh-generation Floridian, devoted his life to public service, conservation and ministry.

Funeral and memorial arrangements had not been made public at the time of this writing.