UNF Hires New Police Chief

The University of North Florida has named a veteran area law enforcement officer to be UNF’s new police chief.

Beginning May 19, Mark Foxworth, currently a detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, will return to UNF to assume the chief’s position. Foxworth was a University Police Department officer in charge of the investigations unit before going to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president for student and international affairs, made the selection following a national search. “I am very excited to welcome Mark who comes to us with excellent professional credentials, a commitment to a community policing model and the advantage of already being familiar with UNF,” Gonzalez said.

After leaving UNF as a police lieutenant, Foxworth joined the Clay County Sheriff’s staff as the public integrity investigator . Before his UNF service, Foxworth served for 20 years with JSO. He rose through the ranks from patrol officer to lieutenant in a broad range of areas from narcotics to homicide to internal affairs.

Foxworth fills a vacancy left by the retirement of former Police Chief Gene Owen earlier this year.