Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed four people to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) Board of Directors on Monday.
DeSantis made reappointments to the JAA, which oversees aviation operations at Jacksonville airport operations in Duval County and at airports and facilities beyond. The reappointments include Fernando Acosta-Rua, Michelle Barnett, Matt Connell and David Hodges Jr.
The JAA Board has seven members who oversee the jewel of the city’s aviation business, Jacksonville International Airport on the city’s North Side, which offers national and international flights. But the Board also manages the functions of Jacksonville Executive Craig Airport, which handles recreational and business aircraft near the Intracoastal West area of the city. Cecil Airport on the city’s West Side, which is a converted U.S. Navy installation and handles mainly heavy business traffic, and Herlong Recreational Airport, not far from Cecil, is primarily geared toward recreational and pilot hobbyists.
The Board has four members appointed by the Governor and three appointed by the Mayor of Jacksonville.
Hodges, the current JAA Chair, was reappointed after being first named to the Board in June 2022. He’s also Chair and CEO of the Hodges Management Group and Chair and Partner of 925 Partners Insurance Agency. He’s also served as the Family Office Principal for the Tebow Group and is co-owner of Tahoe Knight Monsters and Agusta Pro Hockey.
Acosta-Rua is currently the Vice-Chair of the JAA and was initially named to the Board in October 2021. He’s also a principal and shareholder for Heritage Capital Group. He is also steeped in community activism, serving as Chair of the Alivia Care Inc. Board of Directors and is a member of the Board of Trustees for The Bolles School.
Barnett has served on the JAA longer than any other current member, first appointed to the panel in October 2019. She’s also a past JAA Chair. Barnett is a lawyer and founding shareholder of the law firm Alexander, DeGance, Barnett. She’s also a member of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute Board of Trustees.
And Connell has served on the JAA since November 2020. He is the CEO of Total Military Management and a member of the International Association of Movers and the American Moving and Storage Association.
All four reappointments by DeSantis still need final approval from the Florida Senate.
