The City of Jacksonville has a new ambassador helping travelers learn about things to do in River City! Dana Maule, the founder of Northside Pride, was selected for the 2026 Tourism Ambassador Award. Visit Jacksonville made the announcement during their Industry Meeting this week at WJCT Studios. Maule was recognized by tourism and hospitality professionals for her work enhancing Jacksonville’s visibility and inspiring more travelers to eat, shop and explore Jacksonville’s Northside.

Dana Maule is the founder of Northside Pride of Jacksonville, a neighborhood preservation initiative that amplifies and promotes Jacksonville’s Northside neighborhoods. Dana approaches tourism with a simple philosophy: every visitor deserves an authentic connection to Jacksonville and every neighborhood deserves to be seen. She has spent the past 3 years highlighting hidden gems on Jacksonville’s Northside that have historically been left out of the tourism industry’s focus. Her walking tours in Historic Durkeeville shine a light on historical and cultural landmarks like J.P. Small baseball stadium, the Emerald Trail S-Line, and Civil Rights History along Myrtle Avenue. In July, Northside Pride led the first-ever bike tour on Moncrief Rd. during the Duval Day food and music festival. Northside Pride also worked to increase visibility of Historic Durkee Gardens, working with City Councilman Jimmy Peluso to get FDOT signs installed off I-95 to direct travelers to the historic neighborhood.

Visit Jacksonville offers tourism ambassador training throughout the year for tourism professionals and small business owners across Duval County. The tourism ambassador award is given once a year by Visit Jacksonville to recognize and celebrate individuals who help people learn about their community and the role tourism plays in it.