Latest news with #Schertzer
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Beacon AI Centers Appoints Josh Schertzer as CEO, Commits to an Initial 4.5 GW Data Center Development in Alberta, Canada
ALBERTA, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Beacon AI Centers announced today that Josh Schertzer, former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Enterprise Technology at Blackstone, has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer. Schertzer will lead the company's efforts to rapidly scale and deliver cutting-edge, high-capacity AI data center developments at the scope and scale required to build an AI-powered future. 'I'm thrilled to join Beacon as CEO and lead the evolution of our state-of-the-art AI data centers across North America,' said Josh Schertzer. 'We've built a world-class team that will tackle the toughest challenges holding back AI infrastructure development and deliver much-needed compute capacity to hyperscalers at speed and scale.' Schertzer brings two decades of experience in the technology sector, operating, leading, and investing across a variety of technology verticals. 'Josh's distinguished career speaks for itself,' said Aidan Kehoe, founder and Managing Partner of Nadia Partners, Beacon's originating fund. 'As the world enters a new era of AI-driven infrastructure, it requires a leadership style that is both strategic and operationally precise. Josh brings exactly that- making him exceptionally well-equipped to drive Beacon forward in this pivotal moment.' Strategic Focus on Alberta With plans to energize sites in Alberta as early as 2027, Beacon AI Centers is committing to the region and its development as a leading AI hub. 'Alberta is quickly becoming one of the most attractive jurisdictions in North America for data centre development, and Beacon's launch is a strong vote of confidence in our province,' said Nate Glubish, Alberta's Minister of Technology and Innovation. 'With our abundant energy resources, growing tech talent, and commitment to cutting red tape, we're creating the right conditions for innovators like Beacon to thrive. I look forward to seeing how their projects will help build the future of AI infrastructure from right here in Alberta.' The strategic decision to establish Beacon's first data centers in Alberta comes at a pivotal moment when hyperscalers are facing critical infrastructure and power constraints across North America. With abundant natural gas, a competitive corporate tax environment, and a skilled workforce, Alberta offers the critical elements needed to support high-density AI workloads and long-term digital infrastructure investment. Beacon's portfolio includes high-capacity data centers near Chestermere, High River, Acheson, Sturgeon County, Langdon, and Beaumont, Alberta, with expansion to other jurisdictions planned in 2026, and a total development pipeline of 4.9 GW across North America. According to a Colliers report, each project will create 1500 construction jobs and 300 highly-skilled operational roles. Beacon's investment is forecast at up to $7.2B USD/$10 B CAD. Each data center will incorporate advanced cooling systems, energy-efficient design, and robust connectivity to serve both public and private sector partners. About Beacon Originated by Nadia Partners, Beacon is a pioneering AI data center development company. With an energy-first approach, Beacon is redefining data center development to meet the growing demands of the AI era. You can learn more about Beacon at
USA Today
12-02-2025
- USA Today
Pilot killed in Arizona plane crash was veteran who flew for 60 years, daughter says
The pilot of a private jet who was killed in a collision at a small airport in Scottsdale, Arizona, has been identified by police as a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam before he began a decadeslong career flying private planes for the rich and famous. Joie Vitosky, 78, was the sole fatal victim of the crash Monday afternoon that involved a Learjet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil that veered off the runway at Scottsdale Airport and hit a parked Gulfstream jet. Multiple people were injured, including Neil's girlfriend, Rain Hannah Andreani. Neil was not aboard the plane at the time of the crash. Officials said it appears the Learjet's landing gear had failed and led to the collision, though no official cause has been identified. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the crash. Vitosky's daughter, Jana Schertzer, told the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, that her father had been flying for 60 years, starting with helicopters when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps before eventually switching to jets. Vitosky didn't envision having a career in the skies, his daughter said. He studied to become an engineer before he started flying for the military and serving several tours in Vietnam. After leaving the Marines, Vitosky had an eclectic flying career, Schertzer said. He flew people such as Jesse Jackson, Maureen Reagan and owners of oil companies. He flew trips to retrieve parts for companies like FedEx and also flew transplant patients awaiting life-saving surgeries. "It's a lot of stuff that can happen on a private plane," Schertzer said. "A lot of rich people, but he had a lot of people who needed something immediate." Schertzer said her father had flown most of his family members at one point, including Schertzer and her two brothers. "We've all grown up going on trips with my dad when we were able to – when there was a seat available in the plane, and the passengers didn't mind us going," she said. Schertzer said she expected some people would make assumptions about her father based on his age. She said he remained an extremely capable pilot, noting that her grandparents and great-grandparents on his side of the family lived well into their 90s. While many 78-year-olds spend time enjoying their retirement, Schertzer said her father fell in love with flying. 'Instead of, you know, retiring and doing nothing, he did it literally until the day he died," she said. Vitosky is survived by three children and two grandchildren, Schertzer said. What happened at the Scottsdale Airport? At about 2:30 p.m. Monday, private jets collided on the runway after the landing gear failed on a Learjet 35A arriving from Austin, Texas, according to airport officials. The plane, which had two pilots, including Vitosky, and two passengers on board, veered off the runway and hit a parked Gulfstream jet with one person on board. Two people were critically injured. A third was injured, but not critically. Air traffic controllers redirected planes after the collision occurred, according to audio recordings. One controller can be heard telling a pilot to maintain altitude and "go around." "We just had an emergency," the controller says. What do we know about the people who were hurt? Andreani, the girlfriend of Mötley Crüe's lead singer, is the only person on board the planes who has been publicly identified other than Vitosky. Andreani's presence on the plane was confirmed on CNN Tuesday by Mötley Crüe's manager, Allen Kovac. Kovac said Andreani was with a friend, and they were both injured, according to CNN. Neil owned the Learjet but he was not on board the plane when it crashed on Monday, according to a filing with the Wyoming secretary of state. "Mr. Neil's thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of the first responders today," said a statement from Worrick Robinson, the vocalist's legal representative. Crash is the latest in a series of airplane collisions Monday's crash came after 10 people were killed in a plane crash near Nome, Alaska, on Feb. 6. Two crashes, one in Philadelphia and the other outside Washington, D.C., occurred in January, killing over 70 people total. The last fatal crash at the Scottsdale Airport was in 2018. A pilot, student pilot and four passengers were killed after the plane crashed shortly after takeoff. The NTSB lists 15 fatal aircraft incidents in the Scottsdale area and four incidents involving a serious injury, with the earliest going back to the 1970s. Two of the serious injuries involved student pilots, one involved a pilot having a hard landing after the plane's engine lost power and another involved a pilot having a forced landing after misjudging their altitude and clearance. Contributing: Minnah Arshad, Craig Shoup, Melonee Hurt and Catherine Reagor
CBC
07-02-2025
- CBC
Senior Toronto cop found guilty of investigation interference appeals ruling, demotion
Social Sharing A senior Toronto police officer is appealing a disciplinary tribunal decision that found her guilty of misconduct for interfering in a 2022 collision investigation involving her nephew. Insp. Joyce Schertzer was demoted to the rank of staff sergeant for nine months in January after the police tribunal's hearing officer, retired OPP Supt. Lisa Taylor, found she circumvented procedure for the benefit of her family when her nephew was allowed to leave a west-end crash site. "The hearing officer erred in imposing a harsh and excessive penalty that was unwarranted," read the appeal documents, filed on Tuesday with the Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission. Among its 66 grounds of appeal, the documents argue Taylor made "unreasonable findings" throughout her decision, ignored relevant evidence and misstated other evidence. She also engaged in "speculation" and "hyperbole" when imposing the penalty, according to the documents, written by Schertzer's lawyer, Joanne Mulcahy. When Taylor handed down the demotion in January, she said "a fully informed citizen would be shocked when considering the actions and inactions of Insp. Schertzer." But the appeal documents argue Taylor made an error in this assessment. They also say she erred in finding a reasonable citizen who "would expect a strong penalty to follow, exaggerating the conduct and disregarding the overwhelming positive character evidence and exemplary employment history of [Schertzer]." Schertzer was found guilty of one count of discreditable conduct and another count of neglect of duty under the Police Services Act in August. She is appealing both these rulings and the penalty. The appeal is asking for the misconduct findings to be overturned and for a penalty less severe than a demotion. The Toronto Police Service, the respondent in the appeal, declined to comment. 'Unreasonable' to find benefit to family: appeal The charges stemmed from an incident that happened shortly before noon on May 1, 2022, just outside The Boulevard Club at 1491 Lake Shore Boulevard W., in the city's west end. Schertzer was working at 11 Division that day when she got a call from her daughter — who is a constable with Toronto police — telling her Schertzer's nephew had been in a collision, the tribunal heard. Video played at hearings showed her nephew driving into a pole. Schertzer had an officer from 11 Division dispatched to 14 Division where the incident occurred, even though officers generally respond to calls within their own division. The crash happened near the barrier between the two divisions and Schertzer testified she was unaware the site of the incident was outside her division's boundary. Her nephew was allowed to leave the scene after speaking with Const. Braden Doherty for about 10 minutes. Schertzer also attended the scene and spoke with Doherty. Doherty testified that he'd asked for Schertzer's permission to turn off his body camera while they spoke. Her nephew returned to the scene a couple of hours later after Schertzer was contacted by traffic services. He was later ticketed for careless driving, but that ticket was eventually dropped in 2023. WATCH | Body camera footage shows Schertzer speaking to cop on scene: Senior Toronto cop facing misconduct charges testifies at tribunal 8 months ago Duration 2:54 Insp. Joyce Schertzer is facing three misconduct charges for allegedly interfering with an investigation into a single-vehicle collision her nephew was involved in. CBC's Britnei Bilhete has more from the police disciplinary hearing. During the misconduct probe last year, Schertzer's lawyer argued she attended the scene in her capacity as an aunt and did not interfere in the investigation. Though Taylor found Schertzer circumvented the police priority system to benefit her family, the appeal documents argue this analysis "was unreasonable and replete with errors." The 9-month demotion also "[refused] to consider all the credit that [Schertzer] has provided to the reputation of the police service," the documents read. Schertzer apologized for incident in October When Taylor handed down the penalty in January, she said Schertzer's misconduct was a "first-time matter" and not seen anywhere else in over 30 years of service. The tribunal received "copious" letters of support from current and former members of law enforcement, vouching for Schertzer's character and track record, Taylor said — though Tuesday's appeal documents argue Taylor "erred in her treatment" of these letters. Schertzer tearfully apologized for her conduct during penalty submissions in October.
