Sergey Petrossov – JetSmarter Founder & CEO
Awarded Forbes 30 Under 30 in Consumer Technology and South Florida's Top Working Professional by the Sun Sentinel Sergey Petrossov is always seeking ways to innovate industries.
Prior to JetSmarter, he co-founded two IT projects: an online chat system for website customer service and a distance-learning platform for Russian-speaking educational institutions. He also served as a board advisor to a South Florida-based private jet operator that, at the time, had the world's largest on-demand Gulfstream charter fleet.
When Petrossov flew private for the first time he immediately identified challenges with the antiquated, brick-and-mortar approach to booking charter flights. Mobile marketplaces were on the rise, and he felt certain that the cumbersome private aviation booking process could be solved with technology – thus, the idea for JetSmarter was born.
After gathering his development team from previous projects and investing his own capital, Petrossov began the planning phase for an app that could connect flyers with top-rated private jet operators. The beta-version of JetSmarter launched in August 2012 as a proof of concept for select users. After raising additional funding and collaborating with hundreds of vendors and partners, Petrossov officially launched the JetSmarter app to the public in March 2013.
JetSmarter's skillful technology, management, and advisory teams – many of whom are credited with successful project execution for NASA, Nokia, Microsoft, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Uber – bring a combined experience of more than 100 years in technology, private air travel and logistics to the table. It is their unceasing hard work combined with Petrossov's vision that gave birth to the groundbreaking app JetSmarter is today.
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California Sheriff Revolts Against Sanctuary State Law, Makes Inmates’ Release Dates Public
Source: The Daily Caller
The sheriff’s department in a major Los Angeles metro area county announced Monday that it will begin publishing a list of inmate release dates, spurning a provision of California’s sanctuary state law that limits communication between local officials and immigration authorities. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s online inmate database includes the date and time of a prisoner’s release, a change that agency officials say will improve communication with federal law enforcement partners.
New Solar Jobs Map Shows Employment Trends in States, Local Areas Nationwide
Solar jobs decline nationwide in 2017, but increase in 29 states and in metropolitan areas across the nation
Washington, D.C., March 28, 2018 – The Solar Foundation today released an updated map on the number of solar jobs in every state, metropolitan area, county, and congressional district, revealing the geographic distribution of America’s 250,271 solar jobs. The interactive map can be viewed at SolarStates.org.
The updated map provides complete data on solar jobs in all 50 states, along with details on jobs by solar employment sector; solar workforce demographics; solar industry background; and much more. Users can toggle between 2015, 2016, and 2017 data to see the number of solar jobs year over year.
The new solar jobs map is a follow up to the National Solar Jobs Census 2017, the eighth annual report on America’s solar workforce issued by The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit educational and research organization. Along with the map, The Solar Foundation released 52 fact sheets on the solar workforce in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
The National Solar Jobs Census 2017 found that nationwide, solar employment declined 3.8 percent, from 260,077 jobs in 2016 to 250,271 in 2017. At the same time, solar jobs increased in 29 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in major metropolitan areas throughout the nation. This growth took place in many states with emerging solar markets, such as Minnesota, Utah, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and others.
“Our solar jobs map shows that many states and cities bucked the national trend and enjoyed significant jobs growth in 2017,” said Andrea Luecke, President and Executive Director of The Solar Foundation. “As solar technologies rapidly become more affordable and abundant, solar jobs nationwide have nearly tripled since 2010. These jobs are in solar installation, project development, sales and marketing, manufacturing, engineering, and many other skill areas. In the future, states and localities should look to solar as a key strategy for building local economies and supporting high-quality careers.”
California remained the state with the leading number of solar jobs in 2017 (86,414), though jobs in the state declined 14 percent from 2016. Among states that saw solar job growth, the state that added the most jobs in 2017 was Utah, followed by Minnesota, Arizona, New Jersey, and New York.
Metropolitan areas and counties in diverse parts of the country saw significant job growth in 2017. The metro area with the highest total number of solar jobs was San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, at 24,474 jobs, though employment declined 6 percent from 2016. Some of the metro areas where jobs grew significantly in 2017 include greater Provo-Orem, Utah (3,798 total jobs), New York-North New Jersey-Long Island, New York (12,038 jobs); Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn. (3,803 jobs); Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (7,204 jobs); and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (2,319 jobs).
Other metropolitan areas that saw job growth in 2017 include greater Denver, Colorado; Miami, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; Charleston, South Carolina; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; St. Louis, Missouri; and Detroit, Michigan, among others.
“We are very excited to see so much solar job growth in Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “Philadelphia has taken several steps to expand solar development, including our work to achieve SolSmart Gold designation, and launching the Solarize Philly program. We are committed to reducing citywide carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 and transitioning to a 100 percent clean energy future. A solid solar workforce is key to achieving those goals.”
“We believe the transition to a clean energy future is one of the greatest opportunities of the 21st century for cities to improve community health, quality of life, environmental sustainability, and a vibrant and robust economy,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "Our city is proud to be a part of growing solar jobs here in Florida and we remain committed to helping lead the transition to 100% renewable energy.”
Data for the National Solar Jobs Census is based on a rigorous survey of solar establishments conducted between October and November 2017. The Census defines a solar employee as someone who spends at least 50 percent of his or her time on solar-related work.
The interactive solar jobs map, along with detailed state fact sheets, can be accessed at SolarStates.org. Complete information on the National Solar Jobs Census 2017 can be viewed at SolarJobsCensus.org.
About The Solar Foundation®
The Solar Foundation® is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate adoption of the world’s most abundant energy source. Through its leadership, research, and capacity building, The Solar Foundation creates transformative solutions to achieve a prosperous future in which solar and solar-compatible technologies are integrated into all aspects of our lives. Learn more at TheSolarFoundation.org.
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With tax season in full swing and a new tax code recently signed into law by President Donald Trump, the personal finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s States Most Affected by Tax Reform.
In order to determine which states will get the best tax breaks going forward, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the state-specific average tax change for low, middle and high-income families.
In combination with this report, WalletHub also released its Tax Fairness Survey, which takes stock of taxpayers’ attitudes toward the new tax code and how they expect it will influence their lives.
States Benefiting the Most
States Benefiting the Least
1
Alaska
42
Pennsylvania
2
Alabama
43
Oregon
3
Tennessee
44
Virginia
4
District of Columbia
45
Mississippi
5
Nevada
46
Arizona
6
Arkansas
47
New Jersey
7
Ohio
48
Maryland
8
Texas
49
New York
9
Delaware
50
Connecticut
10
South Dakota
51
West Virginia
Tax Fairness Survey - Key Stats
