Alaska Airlines has given its chief financial officer, Shane Tackett, another responsibility — president.

Tackett will assume his additional role at the SeaTac-based airline on June 29, according to a news release Wednesday.

Tackett will continue leading the organization’s finance, fleet management, investor relations, supply chain, internal audit and information technology functions, according to the release. His new responsibilities as president include oversight of Alaska Airlines’ commercial division.

Tackett previously held positions in labor relations, e-commerce and financial planning at the company, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“I started at Alaska more than 25 years ago, and over that time we’ve built a stronger, more resilient airline with a clear strategy for the future,” Tackett said in a statement.

He said he is excited to lead more of the organization in his new role and deliver to guests, employees and owners.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said Tackett has led the company through challenges and helped it grow over his 25-year tenure.

“Bringing commercial and finance leadership together under Shane will strengthen alignment and accelerate our priorities as we continue advancing our strategy and creating long-term value for our stakeholders, said Minicucci, who also serves as CEO and president of the airline’s parent company, Alaska Air Group.

Tackett’s promotion comes as the airline navigates challenging macroeconomic factors, including rising fuel costs and weakening consumer demand for travel.

Alaska Air Group — which includes Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as regional carrier Horizon Air and ground support company McGee Air Services — saw its profits drop 70% in 2025 year over year. It continued to face financial woes in 2026.

The company lost $193 million in the first three months of 2026 as it dealt with skyrocketing jet fuel prices due to the war in Iran.

Arizona CEO accused of stealing millions

Jeffrey Gottfurcht, the now-former CEO of Mesa startupo Cyber Dive, is accused of stealing at least $1.5 million from the company to buy gifts for his girlfriend. FOX 10’s Brian Webb has more.

PHOENIX – An Arizona chief executive officer is facing major legal trouble after being accused of embezzling money from his company.

What we know:

Cyber Dive is an Arizona startup that sells child-safety smartphones, designed so parents can monitor their children’s online activity. The company is run out of a business complex in Mesa, but the startup is barely hanging on after the CEO allegedly took off with the money to spend on his girlfriend.

Jeffrey Gottfurcht is facing federal embezzlement charges. He stands accused of lying and doctoring documents to trick investors before running off with at least $1.5 million.

On the company Facebook page, Gottfurcht claimed to be the first rheumatoid arthritis sufferer to scale Mount Everest.  

Local perspective:

Red flags first popped up at the company on Feb. 13, with strange occurrences coming into the office.

Derek Jackson, who co-founded Cyber Dive, recalled the moment the discrepancies came to light.

“They mentioned to me something about getting routing documentation for funds from an acquisition deal,” Jackson recounted. “They said ‘where are those documents?’ He said he was gonna send him at 3 p.m. today, and my response was what deal are you talking about?”

Dig deeper:

Court documents show Gottfurcht used the money to buy his escort girlfriend a Lamborghini, a four-bedroom house in Miami, and a diamond ring. The girlfriend has posted videos on TikTok, but her identity is hidden because she has not been charged with a crime.

When asked to confirm if Gottfurcht purchased the car, the diamond ring, and the house, Jackson responded, “Yes. So it gets deep. Yes, it gets very deep.”

“It’s a huge gut punch,” Jackson said regarding the impact on the startup. “I think it’s been challenging to stay motivated to keep the company going because when this happened, Jeff drained the account to zero.”

At the Cyber Dive headquarters, half the workforce was let go. Jackson is now serving as the interim chief executive officer, looking for new investors to keep the lights on while coming to grips with the loss of a partner and friend.

Jackson stated that the total amount of money taken is closer to $4 million.

“I was in the army. I was an intelligence officer. I was targeting people in ISIS. I don’t even hate terrorists as much as I hate Jeff right now,” Jackson said.

The other side:

No one answered the door at the Paradise Valley home Gottfurcht shares with his wife and three children. Court paperwork shows that his wife is seeking a divorce, and helped turn her husband in to the authorities.

What’s next:

Gottfurcht was previously arrested in Scottsdale in May over allegations of domestic violence. He remains behind bars on a $250,000 bond. 

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — California lawmakers are now asking the federal government for more than $32 million in emergency funding to stop the spread of an invasive insect that was recently discovered on grapevines sold at Costco stores across the state.

The request comes about a month after Fresno County agricultural officials discovered grapevine plants infested with the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a pest capable of spreading Pierce’s Disease, a deadly infection that can kill grapevines.

In a letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla joined Reps. Mike Thompson, David Valadao and other members of California’s congressional delegation in requesting $32.2 million in emergency funding to contain and eradicate the pest.

[RELATED] Fresno County grapevine plants shipped to Costco were infested with bugs

Lawmakers say the infected nursery stock was identified Mat 19 by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.

The plants had been distributed to Costco stores in more than two dozen California counties before being sold to customers.

Officials believe some of the infested plants have since been transported to homes in at least 38 counties across the state.

The movement of infested nursery stock into and near key grape-producing regions, including areas critical to California’s winegrape and fresh table grape production, significantly elevates the urgency of this response.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter feeds on grapevines and spreads Pierce’s Disease, an incurable bacterial infection that can destroy vineyards by preventing vines from transporting water.

Lawmakers warned that the pest poses a serious threat to California’s wine and table grape industries.

According to the Wine Institute, California’s wine industry supports 1.1 million jobs nationwide and generates an economic impact of more than $170 billion.

California also produces 99% of the nation’s table grapes, with an annual crop value estimated at $2.59 billion.

If the pest spreads unchecked, the California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates losses associated with Pierce’s Disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter could exceed $104 million annually.

The requested funding would support emergency response efforts, including tracing the movement of infested plants, surveying affected areas and expanding trapping programs.

Additional funding would also be used for long-term monitoring and eradication efforts over the next several years.

The lawmakers are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately release the funding through the Commodity Credit Corporation, arguing that the outbreak meets the federal definition of an agricultural emergency.

Growers have already contributed more than $62 million toward research and mitigation efforts over the past 25 years through industry assessments, according to the letter.

Federal officials have not yet announced whether the funding request will be approved.