Fluent in Floridian

Christopher Still, whose paintings can be seen in the Governor's Mansion and Smithsonian Institute, has earned acclaim throughout his career for the way in which he takes Florida landscapes and depicts them in styles more often reserved for "higher" subject matter, such as historic European architecture. Still's dedication to Florida through his art has earned him an induction into the Florida Art...

When Marshall Criser III's father left his law practice to serve as the president of the University of Florida, he couldn't wrap his head around the choice. "I didn't really understand why he chose to leave […] Could not understand why my parents would make a decision like that." However, later in his life, Criser would prove to have more in common with his father than just their names, as he made...

While most would consider earning either a World Series or Super Bowl ring to be a career-defining honor, Mark Lamping is one of the very few who can boast ownership of both. Lamping, the current president of the Jacksonville Jaguars, earned his World Series ring while president of the St. Louis Cardinals, and his Super Bowl ring while CEO of the New York Giants' MetLife Stadium. However, he's not...

Cissy Proctor can blame her former coworkers for her interest in public service work. Having attended Florida State for her undergraduate and law degrees, Proctor went on to work at a local Tallahassee law firm called Bryant Miller Olive, where she said many of her colleagues "Had been inside state government, inside state agencies, inside the governor's office, legislature, and really spoke so hi...

In today's volatile political climate, it can be hard to "cut through the noise," as Dr. Bob McClure puts it. But Dr. McClure, as the CEO and President of the James Madison Institute, one of the oldest non-partisan think tanks in the country, makes it his (nonprofit) business to cut through the noise. The James Madison Institute focuses on "policy that advances opportunity and economic prosperity...

Described as "today's seminal civil rights lawyer" by Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan, Ben Crump has represented some of the most high profile civil rights and discrimination cases of the 21st century, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Martin Lee Anderson, and the currently unfolding Chris Jones case.

For some college students, a hospitality job is nothing more than a necessity to pay for school. For Carol Dover, it was more than that; it was a stepping stone that led to her becoming the President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, a position she has held since 1995. Dover represents over the interests of over 10,000 members of the Florida hospitality industry in front o...

Dominic Calabro has been with TaxWatch, a non-profit non-partisan research institute, so long that he sometimes jokes "There's no life before or after TaxWatch." While he hasn't yet discovered what comes after, there was a before, during which time Calabro worked in a Catholic Seminary. It was here that he asked himself who he wanted to be, a question that led him on the path of citizen advocacy.

At the end of each episode of Fluent in Floridian, we ask our guests four questions, including "What in Florida deserves more attention?" This episode presents the answers given by our first ten guests.

Over the course of his career as FEMA Administrator, Craig Fugate oversaw more than 500 presidentially-declared major disasters and emergencies, including Florida's first back-to-back major hurricanes since the 1950s. Coming from a long background in emergency management, after updating Alachua County's disaster plan in February 1987 shortly after being promoted to Lieutenant in Fire Rescue, Fugat...

Miami Herald Capital Bureau Chief Mary Ellen Klas is a celebrated journalist within the sunshine state. She notes that her interest in journalism was sparked at a young age. "I got into journalism because, as a little kid, I was really interested in writing. […] Florida as a state was growing fast and every newcomer who was engaged didn't think twice about subscribing to a newspaper. So it was a r...

Martha Barnett is one of the Sunshine State's most influential lawyers. A graduate of both Tulane University and the University of Florida, Barnett was a member of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission in 1997 through 1998 and previously served as President of the American Bar Association from 2000 to 2001. Currently, Barnett is a retired senior partner at the Holland & Knight Law firm.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings is dedicated to serving and protecting his Florida community. A former Chief of the Orlando Police Department and Director of Public Safety for Orange County, Demings's interest in law enforcement was sparked from his childhood experiences watching television shows such as Hawaii Five-0 and Mannix. After joining the Orlando Police Department in 1981, Demings...

New York Times Bestselling author and Tampa Bay Times reporter Craig Pittman is a celebrated journalist and storyteller in the sunshine state. A Florida native and graduate of Troy State University in Alabama, Pittman has won several awards, including the Waldo Proffitt Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism in Florida four times, the top investigative reporting award from the Society of...

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon is a prominent fighter for American rights and freedoms. Simon began his work for the ACLU as the Executive Director of the organization's Michigan affiliate. In 1997, he was appointed as the organization's Executive Director of Florida and became responsible for the organization's legal, public education, legislative...

A prominent attorney and outspoken politician, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has a strong history of fighting for the progression of our Sunshine State through the legal system. A graduate of the University of Florida, as well as the Stetson Law School, Bondi has successfully worked her way up the leadership ladder. As the state's attorney general, Bondi has fought to eradicate several notabl...

Florida Chamber of Commerce Chair Syd Kitson is dedicated to creating a better business climate within the sunshine state. As the Chairman and CEO of real estate company Kitson & Partners, he developed Florida's innovative and sustainable "city of the future": Babcock Ranch. In addition to his revolutionary real estate endeavors and Florida Chamber of Commerce efforts, Kitson also serves on the Bo...

Peter Schorsch is a man of many titles, including political reporter, blogger, consultant, and entrepreneur. He's a celebrated web publisher, known for popular websites such as FloridaPolitics.com, serves as a political consultant to several large governmental affairs and public relations firms, and is the president of award-winning media publishing house Extensive Enterprises. Schorsch's passion...

Before becoming the first African-American nominee for governor in Florida, before becoming mayor of Florida's capital city, and before becoming the youngest City Commissioner in Tallahassee's history, Andrew Gillum was the son of school bus driver and a construction worker. The values instilled by his hardworking parents led Andrew to become a devoted civil servant, the first of his brothers and...

Though Sally Bradshaw is most known for serving as Jeb Bush's senior advisor during the 2016 presidential race, her accomplishments far exceed politics. The George Washington University graduate is the epitome of success having worked alongside political giants such as former president George H.W. Bush, completed consulting work for award-winning firms such as CoreMessage, and served as a member o...

Adam Smith, Political Editor for the Tampa Bay Times, has quickly become one of 2018's leading reporters. Focusing on state and national politics, Smith has successfully weathered the changing nature of political media coverage, having worked in the field for nearly three decades. Smith has been named one of the country's Top 10 political reporters by the Columbia Journalism Review, previously ser...

Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper, a professional conservationist, has dedicated his career to protecting the Sunshine State's unique environment and wildlife. Having grown up during Florida's environmental discovery period, Draper's early life consisted of innocently wandering the state's forests, as well as adventurously canoeing through the Hillsborough River near Tampa. His career...

Florida State University President John Thrasher has dedicated his life to serving the Sunshine State. Within the span of 50 years, Thrasher has served in several respected roles within multiple fields, including the military, law, government, and education. Prior to assuming the role of 15th president of Florida State University, Thrasher served as Chairman of the Clay County School Board, speake...