Florida Citrus Sports Mourns Loss of Past President and Central Florida Tourism Industry Legend Richard Jackson
Richard M. Jackson, 1951-2024
Former Florida Citrus Sports president and Central Florida attractions industry icon left an unforgettable legacy in Orlando’s sports and tourism communities
ORLANDO, FLORIDA (AUGUST 7, 2024) — Former Florida Citrus Sports board president and Howard Palmer Award recipient Richard Jackson passed away Aug. 1, 2024, at the age of 72. He leaves behind a devoted wife of 39 years, Cindy; two children, Lindsey Sloan and Adam Jackson; an 18-month-old grandson, Jackson Sloan; and a legacy in Central Florida that far exceeds his accomplishments within our organization, alone.
An Orlando native and graduate of Winter Park High School, Jackson’s distinguished career in the attractions industry began with a job in the Florida Department of Commerce’s tourism division (now known as Visit Florida). In that role, Jackson—who minored in German at Florida State and lived in Germany for three years while serving in the U.S. Army—worked to promote the Sunshine State as a tourist destination in Deutschland.
From there, Jackson managed travel industry sales at Sheraton Sand Key in Clearwater Beach, then kicked off a 17-year run in various leadership roles at Universal Orlando Resort in 1987, laying the groundwork for the eventual grand opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990.
A former Chairman of the Board of the Florida Attractions Association, Jackson later worked four years with Wyndham Vacation Club and was vice president of North American operations for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions during his time in the tourism industry. Additional board service stops also included the Florida Commission on Tourism, Visit Florida and the Travel Industry Association.
The chairman of Florida Citrus Sports’ Team Selection Committee in the fall of 2004, Jackson was part of the leadership group that brought Iowa to Orlando for what was then the team’s first Citrus Bowl appearance; to this day the Jan. 1, 2005 Iowa-LSU game that followed remains one of the most memorable in Citrus Bowl history.
It was a fitting ending to an eventful leadership run that began in April 2003, when Jackson first took the reins as Florida Citrus Sports’ board president with a focus on three stated goals:
– The growth of the organization’s new bowl property (today’s Pop-Tarts Bowl)
– The future of the Citrus Bowl venue (now Camping World Stadium) and
– The pursuit of a CFP championship game in Orlando
More than two decades later, those objectives remain north stars for our team to follow as the current iteration of Florida Citrus Sports—a thriving tourism engine built on the shoulders of giants like Richard Jackson—continues to deliver for Central Florida.
We’re lucky to have served under Richard’s leadership, and he will be greatly missed at Florida Citrus Sports and throughout the Orlando community.
In lieu of flowers, the Jackson family has asked that loved ones make a charitable contribution in Richard’s name to the Florida Citrus Sports Foundation. Contributors can make a donation online at this link or may send a check payable to the Florida Citrus Sports Foundation to the following address: One Citrus Bowl Place, Orlando, FL 32805.