Wells Fargo executive John Duce has taken the reins as the 2020 chairman of Gator Bowl Sports, and will preside over all Gator Bowl Sports entities including the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl football game and game week events, as well as Gator Bowl Charities youth initiatives.
Duce is a native of Gainesville, and joined the Wells Fargo team through their predecessor banks immediately following college. His career brought him to Jacksonville in 1993, and he recently celebrated his 32nd anniversary with Wells Fargo. In his current role, Duce is the senior vice president of middle market banking.
Throughout his career, Duce has prioritized giving back to the community as evidenced through his years of service with multiple organizations. He serves on the Ronald McDonald House board, has served more than 15 years with Gator Bowl Sports, and his strong influence was instrumental in the formalization of Gator Bowl Charities as a separate 501(c)(3) within Gator Bowl Sports.
“Gator Bowl Sports has been a long time staple in our community and serving as chairman is an honor and privilege,” said Duce. “Last year’s 75th celebration produced incredible results for our community, and I look forward to continuing the long history of successes through our economic impact, charitable programming and community engagement initiatives.”
Duce and his wife, Merry-Carol, reside in the San Marco community of Jacksonville and have two sons, Trotter, 22, and Pierson, 20, who are both in college.
May 23, 2026
