With the Florida Senate’s confirmation, Daniel Bean is set to join the airport board, which has experienced significant turnover in 2025.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a new appointee for the St. Augustine Airport Authority.
Pending the Florida Senate’s approval, Daniel Bean will become the latest addition to the board, which has faced numerous resignations, the most recent being Jennifer Liotta’s in October.
At present, only a single original board member from early 2025 remains in place.
Liotta’s stepping down came on the heels of the August resignations of former board members Reba Ludlow, Leonard Ross Tucker, and Dennis Clark. These members resigned as part of an agreement with the State Attorney’s Office to dismiss charges of violating the Florida Sunshine Law. On September 30, DeSantis appointed Gerald Dedge, Mario Dipola, and Nick Primrose to occupy the vacated positions.
In her resignation letter, Liotta pointed to “cumulative findings of misconduct, ongoing governance failures, and continuing ethical concerns” as the reasons for her decision to leave.
Only one member of the board is an elected official now: Michelle Cash-Chapman. According to the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections, Gerald Dedge’s, Cash-Chapman’s and Liotta’s seats will be up for reelection in 2026. Primrose’s and Dipola’s seats are marked for the 2028 election.
According to the governor’s office, Bean is counsel in the litigation practice of Smith, Gambrell, & Russell law firm and chairman of the FreshMinistrities, Inc. Board of Trustees. He’s a veteran of the U.S. Navy who has served as treasurer of the Five Star Veterans Center and secretary for K9s for Warriors, the governor’s office said.
