John G. White III: President of the Florida Bar: love of the law and things aquatic have shaped his life.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 01 July 2008
• Author: Blankenship, Gary
• Published date: 01 July 2008
• Author: Blankenship, Gary

John G. (Jay to all his friends and colleagues) White III is going to be so busy as Bar president for the 2008-2009 year that "He's going to have to give up fishing. That is the big challenge. I'm trying to convince him of that. He hasn't bitten yet."

This observation came from immediate past Bar President Frank Angones, who likes to kid his water-phile successor.

But Angones, as well as White's other friends and associates, doubt that the daunting tasks White faces in the coming year will keep the Pensacola native from his life-long obsession with things aquatic, nautical, and piscatorial.

"We grew up surfing and sailing. Everything we did was outdoors, we enjoyed the water and outdoors so much," says Jay's brother Sheldon.

"I've been going to the Bahamas all my life and when Jay started going with me, he really took to it, spearing fish and lobsters," recounts former protege and long-time friend Greg Coleman, who also serves on the Bar's Board of Governors. "It's tough to get him out of the water over there. He'll say, 'Just five more minutes, 10 more minutes,' and I'll say, 'It's getting dark; we have to get back to the dock.'

"That's where he lets what little hair he has down," adds Coleman.

However, the determination to continue outdoor pursuits will not deter White from addressing the daunting difficulties ahead for The Florida Bar and the legal profession in the coming year. Those who know him said he will bring his trademark thoroughness and intensity in addressing those complex issues.

"The first challenge he will face is certainly court funding," said President-elect Jesse Diner. "The budgetary problems that the state is facing will spill over to every part of the state. He's going to have to fight to make sure there is adequate funding and people have adequate access to the courts to get disputes resolved."

"We're in for some economic hard times which are really going to affect a lot of law firms," said partner Alan Greer. "The bankruptcy lawyers are going to be doing great, but a lot of law firms will be having collection problems and all the other things that go on in a downturn in the economy. That's going to impact the Bar."

Added Gerald Richman, another partner as well as a former Florida Bar president, "When you get harder economic times, there are more shortcuts that are taken; there are a lot of hungry people out there. It's going to be very important for the Bar to maintain its high ethical standards in what may be very difficult times."

Besides the economy, the Bar will continue its efforts to improve ethics and professionalism, to improve the image of the profession with the public, and to protect a fair and impartial judiciary. The Bar will also be studying a program in which new Bar members are mentored by more experienced attorneys.

A Love of Law and People

White's friends, family, and colleagues say the same work ethic that has taken him to the top of the legal profession will serve him well as Bar president--and leave some time for his water activities.

"Jay is someone you can totally depend on and trust. In my opinion, he maintains the highest ideals of being a lawyer and he loves practicing law and loves people," Richman said.

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"When I first started working with Jay, I was impressed with the fact he had the unique skill of being both able to manage an office and manage the personalities who are diverse in a law firm," said Ron Ponzoli, a former protege who is now his partner. "He was able to get legal assistants, paralegals, and the lawyers to do their jobs, not as a dictator, but as an approachable person.

"As a lawyer, he's very good at employing a strategy for whatever particular issue might be in front of the court and finding different ways to accomplish that strategy.... He always says there are many different ways to skin that cat. He's very effective at finding different ways to get a result."

"He's very driven and I know he will excel at anything he takes on," said Jay's sister Celeste Phelps. "I know firsthand he considers this a privilege to serve and he will give it his all. He's very dedicated to the Bar and he's very dedicated to the judiciary."

Pensacola Roots

Jay White was born on September 2, 1955, in Pensacola, 102 years after his great-grandfather settled there. It was a place that would leave an indelible stamp on his life. He is the second of three children. His older sister, Celeste Phelps, has her own court reporting business in Pensacola, and his younger brother, Sheldon, has a Ph.D. in administration and works at the Florida A&M-Florida State University College of Engineering.

His father, John G. White II, was a fighter pilot in the Air Force. While fighting in WWII and the Korean War, he shot down more than 10 enemy planes while flying P-38, twin-engine Lightnings, making him a rare double ace. He received The Air Medal Award, 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, as well as The Bronze Star.

White's mother, the former Christine Stasinos, was the daughter of Greek immigrants who originally settled in Chicago. White said his grandfather decided to move to Pensacola to open restaurants and bars figuring the area's military population would provide regular customers with money. Among his enterprises was opening the popular Azalea Cocktail Lounge, still operating in Pensacola. In the 1950's, it was the "in" place for lawyers, judges, and local business leaders.

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Tragedy struck the family early. When Jay was five, his father died in his sleep of a heart attack at age 42.

The loss of her husband made his mother, who died eight years ago, determined the family would survive. She became the food and beverage director at a local country club, worked second jobs, including running the Azalea, and kept the family close. Indeed, all three children speak of happy childhood memories.

"Though faced with hardship and adversity after the loss of Dad, Mom taught us, through example, a strong work ethic, perseverance, and discipline. She was unwavering in her love and commitment to family. Mom was the essence of optimism and inner strength. I wouldn't be where I am today had it not been for her determination and dedication to her children," said White.

"His mother was, without a doubt, one of the most wonderful people I have ever met," said Susie Duntz, White's legal assistant for the past 22 years. "She was the light of his life."

Duntz attributes White's ability for hard work and his ability to enjoy his time off to his upbringing by his mother.

Sheldon and Jay were nearly inseparable growing up--"Wherever Jay was, Sheldon was and wherever Sheldon was, Jay was," sister Celeste recalls. Sheldon remembers frequent trips to woods, creeks, and bayous when they were younger, and then to Pensacola's pristine beaches for sailing and especially surfing when they were older.

"He [Jay] always had some kind of animal, snake, sea horse, or injured squirrel in the house. Snakes were to be kept outside," Celeste said. Once Celeste had returned home from a date and was sitting in the living room talking with her mother, while her brothers were asleep. In the room was a lamp, which had a potted plant as its base. Suddenly, she and her mother saw a forked tongue flicking out from the plant. The resulting screams woke Jay up. The fangs belonged to a green snake White had brought home and that had escaped captivity. "He always loved to play," Celeste said. "He's always worked hard, played hard, and conked out at the end of the day."

"I have great childhood memories, mainly on Pensacola Beach," White recalled. "As a young kid, my mom always took us to the beach and from a very young age, I always enjoyed the water and fishing. I started surfing when I was probably eight or nine. And from there it was kind of a natural progression, all through high school and college and even law school. During breaks and summers, I worked for a beach service life guarding and renting the umbrellas and the chairs and that kind of stuff, which I really enjoyed. It was outside."

A Surfer Dude

In high school, he played a little football and basketball, but quickly decided his real interest stayed with the water, including winning trophies in competitive surfing.

Regarding academics, White had a natural ability with mathematics, but found classes didn't consistently engage his attention.

"In high school, I didn't have a whole lot of focus. One semester, I would make an A in a class and the next semester I'd make a C. At PTA meetings, teachers would always tell my mom, 'Jay is really bright, but he doesn't focus. He is looking out the window, dreaming of surfing or whatever,' which I was. I always enjoyed history and political science."

After graduating from high school, White took a year off, mostly to surf, traveling up and down the U.S. Coast...