Jacksonville port vice chairman resigns

Jacksonville port vice chairman resigns Jacksonville Port Authority Vice Chairman Tony Nelson has resigned.
   Nelson, a member of the port’s board of directors since 2001, sent a letter of resignation to Jacksonville Mayor John Payton earlier this week.
   His resignation follows that of Ron Baker, port’s deputy executive director and chief financial officer, in June.
   Nelson had taken a leave of absence in April after reports that the FBI had taken information from several businesses in the city, including two of which he was president. Nelson was president of First Coast Black Business Investment Corp., which provided loans and technical assistance to black-owned businesses, and Muirfield Partners, described as a minority-owned business enterprise that provides a wide variety of services, including contract management, public involvement and community outreach, information technology and systems integration and CADD. Investigators also sought records from Rham Construction and Subaqueous Services, businesses that were reported to have done business with the port.
   Steve Cole, a spokesman for the Justice Department’s office in Jacksonville, confirmed Wednesday that April raids were part of an ongoing investigation, but said there have been no indictments or arrests stemming from it. He would not provide further details.
   When Baker left in June, the port also said it was conducting an internal review.