The Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) has officially kicked off its capital campaign for the NEFBA Workforce Education Center. This 43,024-square-foot facility will serve as the new home of the center and the association, marking a significant milestone in the association's mission to strengthen and grow the construction industry’s workforce in Northeast Florida.
To fund the renovation of the property, the association has launched the “Together We Build” campaign. This $7.5-million initiative seeks to raise funds to create hands-on educational spaces featuring construction labs, 11 classrooms, a 300-seat auditorium, and administrative offices.
“We’re not just building a facility; we’re building for the future, for the benefit of our apprentices and the greater overall construction industry here in Northeast Florida,” 2025 NEFBA President Seth Kelley said.
As part of the kickoff, Delores Barr Weaver, through her Legacy Fund at the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, donated a $350,000 grant to sponsor the building construction education lab and a $500,000 challenge grant to the NEFBA Charitable Foundation.
The foundation also received a $175,000 donation from the Cindy and Chris Ware family, founders of the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply. They are sponsoring the HVAC education lab.
Further, NEFBA’s Apprenticeship Program secured $750,000 in state appropriations as part of the 2025-26 Florida state budget; due to the efforts of state Sen. Jennifer Bradley (R-Fleming Island) and House Speaker Pro Tempore Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville), along with the critical support of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
NEFBA invites Northeast Florida’s citizens, its businesses, and its industry leaders to support the “Together We Build” campaign. For more information on how to participate and contribute, email build@nefba.com.
About the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds
Delores Barr Weaver has an extraordinary legacy of philanthropy in Northeast Florida since moving to Jacksonville as co-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1993.
Since her historic gift of $50 million in 2012 establishing the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund, she has partnered with The Community Foundation on her philanthropy through numerous multi-million-dollar gifts, including the foundation's largest-ever gift of $61 million in 2023.
She has established permanent endowments for more than four dozen nonprofits, including 20 that receive ongoing annual support through the Delores Barr Weaver Forever Event Fund, established in 2015.
Today, her grantmaking exceeds $209 million, with support for more than 300 organizations in Northeast Florida and beyond.
About the Northeast Florida Builders Association
The Northeast Florida Builders Association is a professional trade organization comprised of local builders and associated businesses involved in the building industry. With more than 1,350 member companies, NEFBA is the largest builders association in Florida and the fourth largest in the entire country.
It serves the construction industry in seven Florida counties: Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Baker, Putnam and Bradford. The NEFBA Apprenticeship Program was established in 1973 and continues to grow.
More information about NEFBA is available at www.nefba.com or www.nefbaapprenticeship.org.
