Daily Record FINANCIAL NEWS &
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
Incentives challenge 'political nightmare'
Special to the Daily Record
Vol. 104, No. 062 • Two SecTioNS
Recruiters oppose bill to cut Enterprise Florida
The Coughlin family: Tom, Keli and Judy.
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Keli Coughlin shares the same cause as her father
Regional economic developers on a panel Tuesday genially discussed a moderator’s questions about the status, strengths and challenges of the area. She started off with what she called a softball question. At the end came a fastball from Daily Record Publisher Matt Walsh. “I was wondering if any of you would be willing to comment on what House Speaker Richard Corcoran is doing with incentives?” he asked. Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, calls taxpayer incentives “corporate welfare” and wants to block Gov. Rick Scott’s budget for the Enterprise Florida public-private economic-development agency and the Visit Florida tourism organization. Three of the seven panelists took a swing at the question as time was running out at the CREW Jacksonville regional economic development update at The River Club. “A curse for us,” said Laura DiBella, executive director of the Nassau County Economic Development Board. “It is DiBella sending the worst marketing message possible for anyone wanting to do business in the region.” Bill Garrison, president of the Clay County Economic Development Corp., called the effort “wrongheaded.” “That puts Florida at a huge disadvantage,” said Crawford Powell, a consultant for Baker County economic development. Rural counties like Baker are the most affected, he said. Moderator Cathy Chambers, senior vice president of strategy and development at JAXUSA Partnership, along with several of the panelists plan to attend a 1 p.m. meeting today of the House Subcommittee on Careers & Competition to oppose the bill to eliminate the agencies. Chambers also chairs the Florida Economic Development Council, which puts INCENTIVES CONTINUED ON PAGE A-2
Photo by Maggie FitzRoy
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
Keli Coughlin, executive director of the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, by a series of autographed football helmets in the reception area at the nonprofit’s office in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Daughter has grown nonprofit that helps families of sick children
By Maggie FitzRoy Contributing Writer
The first time Keli Coughlin volunteered to help her father with his Celebrity Golf Classic tournament, she became hooked on the cause. It was 1998 and Tom Coughlin was head football coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Two years earlier, he had started the Jay Fund to provide financial assistance to families of children who were battling cancer. The golf tournament was the nonprofit’s annual fundraiser and Coughlin found
herself profoundly moved by the mothers, fathers and children she met in conjunction with it. Parents told her how grateful they were for the relief the charity provided, helping them pay bills during an overwhelmingly stressful time. It helped some from having to choose between paying rent or buying medicine. It kept others who had to leave their job to care for their child from worrying about how to pay for groceries. “I got excited personally about doing more,” she said. The Jay Fund grew quickly, thanks to
the support of the Jacksonville community, Coughlin said, and she became increasingly involved as the scope of the all-volunteer organization expanded. Then Tom Coughlin was fired by the Jaguars in 2002 and two years later, moved to New York to coach the New York Giants. The fund’s board of directors had to decide if the Jay Fund could continue in Jacksonville — and should it? A call from a pediatric oncologist from Wolfson Children’s Hospital made the decision easy. The doctor called a board member and WORKSPACE CONTINUED ON PAGE A-7
Judge spares Fullwood from prison time
Former state lawmaker receives home detention, probation By Lynnsey Gardner WJXT TV-4
Fullwood
Public
After an emotional day in federal court, former state Rep. Reggie Fullwood, got his wish Tuesday when he was sentenced to probation. Fullwood, who faced up to 21 years in prison, was given three years of supervised released and ordered to serve 180 days of home detention.
legal NoTiceS begiN oN Page
b-1
He also must complete 450 hours of community service, pay $100,000 and undergo substance abuse and mental health counseling after pleading guilty to fraud charges last year. Fullwood’s attorney filed a sentencing memorandum last week asking for probation. According to the presentencing report, prosecutors wanted 15 to 21 months in prison. The defense called four char-
acter witnesses Tuesday: a state senator, a real estate developer, Fullwood’s father-in-law and someone Fullwood had mentored. Fullwood became so emotional before he gave his statement to the court that Senior Judge Henry Adams called a 15-minute recess to allow him to compose himself. He was in tears as he stood before the federal judge to hear his fate.
PubliShed
for
27,123
His wife also was overcome with emotion and his sister walked out of the courtroom at one point, when it appeared Fullwood might be sentenced to prison time. Fullwood agreed last year to the forfeiture of $60,552.80 as part of his plea agreement, which was entered in September. He was sentenced Tuesday to pay another $40,000 in restitution. FULLWOOD CONTINUED ON PAGE A-3
coNSecuTiVe weekdayS