Connect with us

Florida

Florida Entrepreneur Discusses JetBlue Board Seat as Stake Nears 10%

Published

on

Florida Entrepreneur Discusses JetBlue Board Seat as Stake Nears 10%


(Bloomberg) — JetBlue Airways Corp. investor Vladimir Galkin, a Florida entrepreneur, has increased his stake in the carrier to 9.98% and says he’s met with top executives to discuss a possible board seat.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Galkin has been steadily building up a stake in JetBlue this year, and is now the airline’s third-largest investor, behind BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc.

Galkin said in an interview that he met with JetBlue’s Chief Executive Officer Joanna Geraghty and Chief Financial Officer Ursula Hurley earlier this week.

Advertisement

“I have not decided whether I want to become a director,” he said. “Any consideration would, of course, require further discussions with the board and adhering to their nominating process.”

Galkin said he “expressed my interest in monitoring my significant investment as a director at some point” during the discussions. Geraghty didn’t make a commitment “either way,” and encouraged him to speak with the board’s nominating committee as required by the company’s bylaws, Galkin said.

In a statement, JetBlue said it “regularly speaks with shareholders and investors to listen to their views on the company’s strategy and progress.” A spokesman declined to comment on discussions with individual shareholders.

The airline is in the midst of a turnaround effort after federal judges blocked a planned acquisition and a partnership with another carrier, limiting its growth prospects. Geraghty has detailed plans to pull out of some cities and delay $3 billion in new aircraft purchases to help control persistently high costs. The airline will shift its focus back to leisure customers in its original strongholds of New York, New England, Florida and Puerto Rico.

“I was really impressed with Joanna and her team and their progress to date,” said Galkin, who cofounded and owns a majority stake in HUBX, an online global marketplace for wholesale electronics.

Advertisement

Galkin, who cashed in on GameStop Corp. during the meme stock craze, reiterated in the interview that he will hold his JetBlue investment to below 10%. Reaching a 10% stake triggers additional disclosure requirements and would allow him to call for a special shareholder meeting. He would also be considered an insider.

Activist investor Carl Icahn, who took a stake in JetBlue of nearly 10% earlier this year, subsequently secured two board seats.

Galkin has had, and intends to continue to have, discussions with JetBlue executives and board members “regarding the possibility of board representation,” according a regulatory filing Thursday. He may communicate with the board, management or other investors about operational, strategic, financial or governance matters, it said.

Shares of the company rose 1.3% in postmarket trading as of 6:02 p.m. Thursday in New York. The stock is down nearly 3% this year.

Advertisement

–With assistance from Crystal Tse.

(Adds JetBlue comment in sixth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.



Source link

Advertisement

Florida

‘She was smashed’: Florida woman accused of driving onto golf course while intoxicated

Published

on

‘She was smashed’: Florida woman accused of driving onto golf course while intoxicated


A Florida woman was arrested after she drove onto a golf course while intoxicated, crashed her car, and found with dozens of miniature bottles of Fireball whiskey, according to authorities.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified her as 34-year-old Erika Mayer, of Palmetto.

“She was smashed,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video shared on X earlier this week. “She was drunk — capital DRUNK. Wrecked her car. She said, ‘But I haven’t been drinking.’

The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to a single-car crash near Streamsong Golf Resort on May 14 shortly before 7 p.m. When deputies arrived, they found a red 2018 Hyundai resting on a sidewalk and a woman sitting beside the car.

Investigators said Mayer appeared impaired, displayed slurred speech, poor balance, and incoherent behavior. Deputies also detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath, the sheriff’s office said.

Advertisement

A witness told deputies they saw Mayer driving across one of the golf courses in the area before the crash.

Judd said deputies searched Mayer’s car, where they found 21 open mini bottles of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, two empty 50 milliliter bottles of 99 Brand liqueurs, and an unopened 10-pack of Fireball.

“And she had empty Fireball bottles in her pants,” Judd said, adding that she was “drunker than Cooter Brown” and “had no idea where she was.”

Deputies said they asked Mayer to perform field sobriety exercises and provide breath samples, but she refused both requests.

According to Judd, Mayer told deputies she declined the tests because she heard it was a bad idea to participate in field sobriety exercises.

Mayer was arrested and charged with DUI, DUI with property damage, and refusing to submit to a DUI test. She was also cited for failure to drive within a single lane and possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.

Advertisement
Comment with Bubbles

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (3)

No one was hurt in connection with the crash, authorities said.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Florida

Florida cities rank among best and worst places to raise a family

Published

on

Florida cities rank among best and worst places to raise a family



Port St. Lucie ranked No. 147 among 182 cities in the United States for places to raise a family in 2026, according to a WalletHub study.

Port St. Lucie ranked among the best places in the United States to raise a family in 2026, according to a WalletHub study.

Advertisement

The free personal finance website compared 182 cities in the United States to find the best and worst places to raise a family in 2026.

The website scored cities based on these criteria:

  • Family fun
  • Health and safety
  • Education and child care
  • Affordability
  • Socio-economics

Port St. Lucie ranks for best places to raise a family

The rankings range from 1 to 182, with 1 being the best.

  • Family fun rank: 179
  • Health and safety rank: 40
  • Education and child care rank: 160
  • Affordability rank: 135
  • Socioeconomics rank: 70
  • Playgrounds per capita: 101
  • Violent-crime per capita: 4
  • Overall rank: 147

Top-ranked Florida cities to raise a family

  • 49. Orlando
  • 59. Tampa
  • 60. Pembroke Pines
  • 63. St. Petersburg
  • 117. Jacksonville
  • 123. Tallahassee
  • 133. Cape Coral
  • 147. Port St. Lucie
  • 163. Miami
  • 166. Fort Lauderdale
  • 173. Hialeah

Best places to raise a family in 2026

  • 1. Fremont, California
  • 2. Overland Park, Kansas
  • 3. Irvine, California
  • 4. Plano, Texas
  • 5. Columbia, Maryland
  • 6. Bismarck, North Dakota
  • 7. South Burlington, Vermont
  • 8. Charleston, South Carolina
  • 9. Seattle, Washington
  • 10. Boise, Idaho

Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

As Florida debates property tax relief, a local official analyzed the potential impact on South Florida

Published

on

As Florida debates property tax relief, a local official analyzed the potential impact on South Florida


Florida homeowners who have been lobbying for property tax relief may be closer to receiving it with a newly filed bill in Tallahassee.

Joseph Zamb, who works in real estate, said the ultimate goal should be to eliminate property taxes entirely for homesteaded properties. He believes this step would benefit both investors and homeowners.

“I think that the next step for South Florida, all of Florida, is to completely eliminate property taxes,” Zamb said. “You need to get the American dream back, buy a house, and not have to constantly be paying, paying, paying”.

The official bill calls for a $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027, followed by a $250,000 exemption in 2028. The legislature would then be tasked with creating a long-term plan for the following years.

Advertisement

Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar analyzed the potential impact based on 2025 property values. Kiar found that with the $150,000 exemption, the 425,000 homesteaded property owners in Broward would save about $2,100. However, this exemption would mean the county loses $195 million, and schools are down by $294 million. Kiar noted that the current version of the bill does not include a carve-out for schools.

“Whatever city you live in will depend on the loss of revenue to your city, based on how many homesteaded properties there are, how many commercial properties there are,” Kiar said.

The legislature is scheduled to hash out the details next week during a special session. If the bill passes, it would be presented to voters as a constitutional amendment for approval or rejection.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be the most consequential vote that anybody is going to make if anything’s on the ballot in November, because it could potentially change the way things are done,” Kiar said.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending