โMorning, Yโallโ: JEA CEO sends short, cryptic email to staff amid resignation rumors
A day after the news broke that JEA CEO Jay Stowe is expected to step down from his position leading the city-owned utility โ according to multiple sources โ Stowe sent a short and cryptic email to the entire staff.
Former Curry staffer says he had no idea about the potential for huge bonus payouts, a continuing theme in JEA trial
Testimony on Thursday was the first time juries heard from a member of former Mayor Lenny Curryโs staff in the federal case against former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn and former CFO Ryan Wannemacher, who are accused of orchestrating what some are calling the largest attempt to defraud the city of Jacksonville.
JTA CEO on gas tax increase proposal; JEA CEO on new direction of utility
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute Director Rick Mullaney guest hosts this edition of โThis Week In Jacksonville.โMullaney sits down with JTA CEO Nat Ford to discuss the gas tax increase proposal. Also, JEA CEO Jay Stowe talks about the new direction of the utility.
JEA CEO announces new leadership team
Those jobs will include a chief administrative officer, chief human resources officer, chief customer officer, chief strategy officer, chief operating officer, chief financial officer and a chief external affairs officer. She serves as a Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce trustee and serves in leadership roles on several nonprofit agencies including Leadership Jacksonville, Northeast Florida Community Action Agency and the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition. Each of the announced JEA leadership team members will earn a salary of $275,000. The process of filling the other three roles on the leadership team is underway with a target completion date of July 31. Search firms will be hired to assist in filling the chief operating officer, chief financial officer and chief external affairs officer roles.
JEA CEO: Cost estimate for septic tank project was wrong
On Thursday, JEA CEO Jay Stowe spoke about the agreement that the city made with JEA in 2016 to invest more than $30 million to phase out septic tanks in three Jacksonville neighborhoods. Stowe said the city and JEA wonโt be able to complete the septic tank phaseout program, citing a lack of money. That means people there will have to stay on septic tanks for the foreseeable future. Neighbors say the septic tanks back up after hard rains in the area, creating a stench of human feces and urine. โWeโve asked JEA staff to work with city staff and revisit the septic tank phaseout plan and determine a plan for moving forward.
JEA to spend $1.6 billion to keep up with water demands of growing population
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ As the population in Jacksonville continues to grow, itโs going to cost JEA more than $1 billion to make sure that water gets to all homes in the area. During its monthly board meeting Tuesday, News4Jax learned JEA anticipates spending more than $1.6 billion to get water to those customers. The head of the JEA board, John Baker says figuring out how to pay for that is the utilityโs next critical issue. Besides at $1.6 billion to get water to homes, JEA also has to talk about getting rid of the wastewater that would come from it. Thatโs going to be another cost the JEA board will have to consider.
New CEO of JEA believes restoring trust is a necessity on internal, external levels
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Jay Stowe officially began the job Monday as managing director and CEO of JEA. Stowe said he focuses on three things: public health, public safety and economic development. He calls JEA foundational to the community and believes restoring trust is a necessity both on the internal and external levels. He will work to appoint a new management team and work with a gradually changing JEA board. โThe idea of when or whether we need a rate increase starts with managing the systems really well.
JEAโs new CEO: โTime for us to move forwardโ
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The new head of JEA says the city-owned utility is ready to move forward. Jay Stowe, who was just hired two weeks ago, talked to the JEA board virtually during its meeting Tuesday morning. Stowe did not mention former CEO Aaron Zahn, who was fired by the board in January after the botched exploration of a JEA sale. โWe will work to develop a senior team," Stowe told the board. Also, the board voted to spend $2.4 million to buy land downtown in order to build a second headquarters.
New JEA CEO to make $560K a year, will not participate in bonus plan
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ News4Jax is learning more about how much money JEA is going to pay its new CEO. On Monday, an agreement was released that shows newly selected Jay Stowe will be paid $560,000 a year to run the city-owned utility. Stowe will not be entitled to any other incentive compensation and will not participate in the JEA bonus plan like other employees. Stowe was selected by the board at the end of last month. McElroy was brought in when former CEO Aaron Zahn was fired by the board in January for his role in the failed attempt to sell JEA.
Jacksonville voters approve JEA ballot measure
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Jacksonville voters have spoken, and they want the City Council to have a say in who sits on the board of directors for JEA. The majority of voters approved an amendment to the cityโs charter that empowers the City Council to appoint and remove four members of the city-owned utilityโs board of directors. Previously, the charter held that it was up to the mayor to appoint all seven board members and the council confirmed those appointments. Duval County Referendum - JEA board member appointment โShall the Jacksonville charter be amended ... to (1) grant to City Council the executive power to appoint and remove four members of the JEA Board and (2) amend the qualifications of board members?" The abandoned plan to find suitors for the utility is under investigation by both the City Council and the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.
Board names Jay Stowe as next CEO of JEA
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ During a Monday night special meeting, the JEA board picked Jay Stowe as the next CEO of the utility. Stowe is the chief executive officer and founder of Stowe Utility Group LLC, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was chosen over the two other finalists -- John Lewis Hairston, the chief operating officer of Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Oregon, and Morgan K. OโBrien, the former chief executive officer and president of Peoples Gas. Stowe will take over for Paul McElroy who was called in to replace Melissa Dykes, who herself replaced embattled former CEO Aaron Zahn. Zahn was fired by a different JEA board in January following his role in the controversial failed plan to sell the city-owned utility.