Chief Executive Officer - Jeffrey D. Harvey

Jeffrey D. Harvey, Esq., Chief Executive Officer, Community Legal Services (CLS).  Jeff was appointed to the Chief Executive Officer position in April 2020 but is no stranger to leadership or public service.

A Central Florida native, Jeff has been socially conscious since childhood, earning his Eagle Scout in high school and moving on to the ROTC program at Boston College.  After graduating from Boston College in 2001 with his BA in Political Science and Theology, Jeff was commissioned as an officer in the US Army where he completed training as a Ranger and finished multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, leading hundreds of combat missions without loss of life.

While in the Army, Jeff completed his Master’s in Human Development and Leadership at Murray State University. After active duty, the call to service remained; Jeff entered the Florida Army National Guard as a Field Artillery officer and graduated with his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law.  Jeff has had a distinguished career with the Guard, currently a Lieutenant Colonel Promotable serving as the Task Force Commander of the 164^th Air Defense Brigade, responsible for State Emergency Response, supporting civil authorities and defense of the airspace over the National Capitol. He received the Florida Distinguished Service Medal from the Governor for leading the National Guard response to Hurricane Michael. He has also completed an MBA through American Military University, and a Masters in Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College.

Mr. Harvey’s law career has also been marked with service and leadership.  He founded the Justice Fred Karl Veterans Scholarship Endowment to aid veterans in their pursuit of a law degree at Stetson University College of Law.  He also co-organized The Veterans Law Institute, providing pro bono legal services to Veterans throughout Florida.  In 2019, Jeff was named ‘Veteran of Influence’ by the Orlando Business Journal.

Following a period in private practice, Jeff returned to service, coming to CLS as the Director of Operations in 2015, progressing to the Chief Program Officer. During his tenure, he has led the firm successfully through growth, leadership, and organizational changes. Since becoming CEO, the firm has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by the national publication, The Nonprofit Times in 2020, by the Orlando Business Journal in 2021 and the Orlando Sentinel in 2022. He has also been recognized as the CEO of the Year (2021), one of Central Florida’s Most Influential Leaders (2024) by the Orlando Business Journal, a Notable Managing Partner (2025) by Florida Business Trend, and honored as an “Outstanding Eagle Scout” by the National Eagle Scout Association for his lifetime of service.

He is currently the host of WFTV’s Law Talk and is a frequent author on the role of lawyers in the community in the Florida Bar News and the Daily Business Review.  He regularly speaks on topics of leadership, professionalism, and service.