Jaguars owner, former Jacksonville mayor, T-U columnist tabbed to moderate Wolfson benefit

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan , Flagler College President John Delaney and Florida Times-Union columnist Mark Woods will be the moderators for the 2024-25 Florida Forum Speaker Series , a fundraiser for Wolfson Children's Hospital .

The trio "will facilitate thought-provoking and engaging discussions," according to Wolfson's all-volunteer Women's Board that stages the series.

Delaney will moderate the Oct. 29 program with Boris Johnson, former prime minister of the United Kingdom and a journalist and author. Both men are former mayors — Delaney led Jacksonville from 1995 to 2003, Johnson led London from 2008 to 2016.

Johnson resigned the prime minister role in 2022 after three years in office and a series of scandals. He previously served as foreign secretary and has authored about a dozen books. His memoir, "Unleashed," will be released Oct. 15.

Delaney was president of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville from 2003 to 2018. He was named president of Flagler College in St. Augustine in 2021.

Pakistani-American billionaire businessman Khan will lead the Jan. 15 event with Deepak Chopra, an Indian-American physician, author and pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation.

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Copra founded The Chopra Foundation, a nonprofit that researches well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a health company. He is also a clinical professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California at San Diego and a senior scientist with Gallup Organization.

His 95th book, "Digital Dharma: How AI Can Elevate Spiritual Intelligence and Personal Wellbeing," was published Sept. 17.

Khan purchased the Jaguars NFL team in 2011 and has since become a developer focused on downtown Jacksonville. He also owns Fulham Football Club in England and Illinois-based Flex-N-Gate, which supplies a variety of motor vehicle components. He and his son co-own the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling.

Woods will be the moderator for the Feb. 12 session with Carl Hiaasen , a Miami Herald columnist for 45 years retiring in 2021. He has also written 11 national bestsellers, several novels for young readers and nonfiction work that has appeared in many magazines.

Woods has been a columnist at The Florida Times-Union since 2001. Prior, he was a sportswriter at newspapers in Florida, Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana. He is the author of "Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks."

The annual speaker series is raising $1.5 million for Wolfson to purchase two new mobile intensive care units, among other things.

The 2024-25 events will take place at 7 p.m. at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. Ticket prices start at $150 each. To purchase tickets, go to giving.baptistjax.com/event/2024-2025-florida-forum/e589381 , call (904) 2022886, or email womensboard@bmcjax.com .

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

This story was updated to add a video.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars owner, former Jacksonville mayor, T-U columnist tabbed to moderate Wolfson benefit