About Me

Community leader, journalist and a longtime Clearwater resident, Jared Leone has been involved in our city for decades.

A resident of Pinellas County since 1985, Leone’s deep roots in the community helped shape his servant leadership. He graduated from Largo High School, where he had the opportunity to spend time in Washington D.C. as part of the National Youth Leadership Council Youth Leadership Conference pursuing his dedication to civic engagement. He was the editor of the award-winning Packer Press newspaper, a member of the Academic and Tennis teams and an early enrollee to St. Petersburg College. He was featured on the “What’s Right with Tampa Bay” segment after returning from March of the Living.

He worked as editor and launched the Clearwater Patch news site for AOL in 2011, winning a Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists Griot Drum award in 2014 for his coverage in the North Greenwood neighborhood.

After graduating Clearwater’s Citizen academy in 2015, he joined the city’s Environmental Advisory Board, where he served as chairman for nearly a decade. There, he helped shape policies and initiatives that reduced costs for the city, strengthened environmental protections, and improved community resilience. His leadership led to the City Council’s unanimous approval of the groundbreaking “Ocean Friendly” ordinance aimed at curbing single-use plastics and the revival of the city’s GreenPrint sustainability plan.

In 2018, he founded the Spring Branch Neighborhood Association with fellow residents to strengthen neighborhood engagement and advocacy. As president, he worked with the city to recognize and expand State Street Park, helping secure a $1.5 million renovation project that enhanced the natural elements of the 8-acre park. He organized numerous community cleanups, removing more than 6,000 pounds of trash from the park and surrounding neighborhood and led other neighborhood improvement projects.

He is president of the Clearwater Neighborhoods Coalition, which represents 40 neighborhood associations and more than 20,000 homeowners, continuing his work to support neighborhoods and community engagement throughout the city.

He raised five guide dog puppies in training for Southeastern Guide Dogs (now Dogs, Inc.) and currently serves as vice president of Keep Pinellas Beautiful, demonstrating his commitment to the broader community.

In 2020, he received the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Community Service Award, which recognizes members of neighborhood public safety groups whose contributions help law enforcement.

He has a degree in journalism from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in digital journalism and design from the University of South Florida. Professionally, he spent nearly 20 years covering state, local and national news for publications including the Tampa Bay Times, The Associated Press, Reuters and the Washington Post. He was editor and launched AOL’s Clearwater Patch and was a national content editor for Cox Media Group.

Now, he is taking his commitment to the next level by running for Clearwater City Council, Seat 4. With a proven track record of service and a deep connection to the community, let’s bring a brighter day to Clearwater.