The St. Augustine Airport, which is overseen by the St. Johns County Airport Authority. | St. Augustine Airport
Published on October 23, 2025 at 11:36 am
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The St. Augustine Airport Authority is down another elected board member after Jennifer Liotta resigned this week.
Liotta is the fourth member of the Airport Authority board to resign since summer. Dennis Clarke, Reba Ludlow and Len Tucker resigned in August to avoid criminal charges of violating privacy laws and, in one case, witness tampering.
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In her resignation letter, Liotta cited “ongoing governance failures” and ethical concerns that she said make it impossible for her to properly serve on the board.
“After careful reflection, I have concluded that the most constructive way I can support the Airport at this time is to step aside so the Board can address these issues independently and without perception of conflict,” she wrote. “This decision is not a retreat. It reflects my conviction that the Airport will be best served by a renewed focus on transparency and sound governance.”
Liotta specifically expressed concerns about the board’s refusal to approve an independent investigation into the airport, the fallout of the three resignations earlier this year and the performance of Courtney Pittman, the board’s interim executive director.
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Along with those concerns, Liotta said that she didn’t want her lawsuit against Clarke, Ludlow and Tucker to distract from the board’s work at the airport.
Liotta and her husband, Matt, co-own Modern Aero, a flight school that previously leased space at the airport. In August, Modern Aero sued the three former members of the Airport Authority alleging that the company was improperly targeted and forced out of tenancy at the airport.
In regards to Pittman’s performance, Liotta alleges that there exists a “broader pattern of retaliation and concealment,” including what she says was improper notice about how many jobs he held at the time of his hiring as interim executive director and about his salary.
In a statement provided to Jacksonville Today, the Airport Authority’s new chairman, Nick Primrose, said the board respected Liotta’s decision to resign.
“This board will continue to focus on creating stability and improving airport services for our tenants and users,” he said.
Liotta’s resignation was effective Tuesday night. Gov. Ron DeSantis will appoint a replacement who will serve out the remainder of Liotta’s term.
Her departure leaves Michelle Cash-Chapman as the lone person on the five-member board who was actually elected. The governor appointed the rest.
