Jesse Scheckner
Gov. Ron DeSantis is putting Pensacola Mayor Darcy “D.C” Reeves and aerospace executive Ryan Goertzen on the board of directors for CareerSource Florida, the state’s principal body for workforce development.
He’s also keeping five others on the board: Rep. Dana Trabulsy, Okaloosa County Commissioner Mel Ponder, and members Joe Marino, Laurie Sallarulo and Robert Salonen.
CareerSource is the state’s principal agency for workforce development and related grant-writing. Its 36-member board includes DeSantis and is led by Stephanie Smith, who became Vice President of state and regional affairs for TECO Energy last October.
Reeves, a former journalist, is the co-founder and former owner of R&R Pensacola, which opened Perfect Plain Brewing Company in 2017 and two other businesses he sold to New Orleans-based Urban South Brewery in September 2022.
He is the son of former Rep. Jim Reeves, a Democrat. The younger Reeves is a Republican, reflected in donations of $1,000 to Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis in 2021, $500 to Rep. Michelle Salzman in 2019 and $100 apiece to former Rep. Matt Caldwell and House candidate Rebeka Bydlak in 2018.
Reeves has been Pensacola’s Mayor since November. He previously chaired Visit Pensacola, the area’s official tourism-development agency, and won 2021 “Emerging Leader of the Year” honors from the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and sports management from Florida State University. The latter part of that degree benefitted him as a sportswriter and during a six-year stint in which he worked as the Chief of Staff to Quint Studer, a health care consultancy magnate who owns two Miami Marlins-affiliated minor league ballclubs.
Goertzen is the Vice President of workforce development for AAR Corporation, an Illinois-headquartered global aerospace and defense company with Florida locations in Hialeah, Jacksonville, Miami and Rockledge.
He is also President of the flight industry-focused nonprofit Choose Aerospace.
DeSantis’ Office said Goertzen is Vice Chair of the Rockford Work Connection, an Illinois-based organization whose website does not list Goerzen among its board members.
Goertzen holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Among all new and returning CareerSource Florida board members DeSantis’ Office named Friday, none has given the Governor more political donations than Marino, a U.S. Army veteran who leads the state-created Veterans Florida agency.
Marino, who previously worked as Executive Director and co-founder of the Florida Defense Contractors Association and Florida League of Defense Contractors, gave DeSantis’ re-election campaign $100 last year.
He increased his DeSantis-focused giving more than 4,000-fold between March and June this year through $400,000 in contributions to Never Back Down, the super PAC backing the Governor’s presidential campaign, and a $3,408 direct donation.
Marino has a bachelor’s degree in management and engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Sallarulo, the President and CEO of Junior Achievement of South Florida, which helps prepare youths for business and entrepreneurial endeavors, hasn’t made a political donation since 2017, when she gave former Miami Republican Rep. Vance Aloupis $100.
She also donated $500 to former Republican U.S. Sen. George LeMieux during his 1998 run for the Florida House and $150 to former Republican state Sen. Ellen Bogdanoff in 2008.
In addition to her CareerSource Florida work, Sallarulo is a DeSantis-appointed board member of the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation. She has also served on the boards of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and Six Pillars Initiative of Broward.
She holds a bachelor’s degree business and accounting from the University of Albany.
Salonen gave to DeSantis too, but far lower of an amount. He is the director of government affairs at the Florida Institute of Technology, where he earned a master’s degree in public administration.
Since 1997, Salonen has given $1,700 to political committees and GOP state candidates. That includes $100 apiece to DeSantis in 2022, Rep. Randy Fine in 2021, and Sen. Debbie Mayfield and Rep. Thad Altman in 2020.
Salonen is a past director of business development for the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast.
He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut.
Trabulsy, a Representative since November 2020, has received far more political donations than she’s given. Her most recent giving includes $500 to DeSantis’ presidential campaign and $250 in 2021 to Sen. Gayle Harrell.
Outside of government work, Trabulsy is the owner of All Things Treasure Coast, an online advertising agency for businesses in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties. She is also the co-CEO of the Treasure Coast Business Summit, an annual networking event.
Trabulsy also serves on the advisory board of Place of Hope, an organization focused on providing programs and services to at-risk, abused, impoverished and homeless children and families.
Ponder, who won election to the Okaloosa Commission in 2020, previously served in the House from 2016 to 2020.
He is the President and CEO of Business Empowered Inc., whose mission is to “empower, encourage and equip those in business with Christ-centered principles, so they may advance the Kingdom of God in their city.”
He’s also the government affairs director for the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University.
The Florida Division of Elections and Federal Election Commission show no donations from Ponder to DeSantis or Florida groups and politicians.
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Editor’s note: This report was updated to correctly reflect Sallarulo’s history of political donations, educational attainment and community service.
