Voices United

What does a Marine Corps veteran, child advocate, therapist, and first responder all have in common? Meet Sunshine Arnold. In this episode of Voices United , Sunshine Arnold, LCSW with Citrus County Fire Rescue, shares her journey of service and discusses some of the most important issues facing our community: addiction, trauma, mental health, resilience, and the well-being of our first responders...

On this week’s episode of Voices United , George sits down with Citrus County Administrator Steve Howard and Growth Management Director Eric Landon for an important conversation about Citrus County 2050 and what the future of our community could look like. As the county begins updating its Comprehensive Plan for the first time since 1990, this episode breaks down what that process really means for...

On this week’s episode of Voices United , George sits down with his good friend, Citrus County Property Appraiser Cregg Dalton, for a thoughtful conversation about property tax reform and leadership. Cregg shares insights from his role overseeing the county’s property appraisals, offering perspective on how property taxes work and what reform discussions could mean for local communities. The conve...

Heather Cogar joins us on this episode of Voices United . As the Statewide Director of Community Engagement for the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Prosperity Initiative, Heather is leading a bold effort to replace poverty with prosperity, one zip code at a time. Her work brings together business leaders, nonprofits, and government partners around a shared mission: creating pathways to self-sufficie...

Our guest in this episode of Voices United is Eric Head, Citrus County’s Director of Community Services. A wide scope of departments fall under his leadership, including Animal Services, Housing, Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Transit, Veterans Services, and more. While the breadth of his responsibilities is significant, we spend plenty of time talking about libraries, Eric's first love. The...

In this episode of Voices United , we welcome Marci Holder , the recently appointed Chair of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce Board and Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer at Tampa General Hospital Crystal River. Marci shares her journey to Citrus County, her deepening roots in the community, and how leadership in healthcare and business intersect to strengthen our local workforce and...

In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Hefty, affectionately known as the “Mayor of Ozello.” Aaron talks about what it really means to lead without a title—showing up first after storms, rallying neighbors, and turning initiative into action. We also dive into the upcoming fishing tournament he’s hosting to benefit United Way of Citrus County, a perfect example of how Ozello gives back while havi...

In this episode, we’re joined by Greg Meade , co-owner of Quality First Roofing and a true entrepreneur’s entrepreneur. Greg shares practical advice for anyone willing to put in the work to succeed in business and build real wealth. From ATM machines to rental properties to roofing, Greg explains how strong habits, discipline, and preparation have positioned him to recognize and seize opportunitie...

In this episode, we sit down with Elisha Belden , Founder and Executive Director of Twistid Arts Initiative . Elisha shares how Twistid Arts was born, the powerful impact it’s having on local students through creative expression, and what’s coming next on their performance calendar. It’s a conversation about imagination, opportunity, and why the arts still matter—especially right here in our commu...

This week, Voices United welcomes one of Florida’s most recognizable law enforcement leaders — Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County. With 53 years in uniform, Sheriff Judd shares what it means to still see himself as a street cop first and why “stepping up” when opportunity knocks has been his lifelong philosophy. He opens up about his faith , his marriage of 53 years , and even offers heartfelt advi...

Rebecca Bays, Chair of the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners, joins us for this week's broadcast. Chair Bays discusses the budget, the board's legislative priorities, and a powerful moment where she discusses the life events that molded her into a strong woman that can handle a chain saw.

Dr. Scott Hebert, Citrus County Superintendent of Schools, joins the podcast. We discuss his first year as superintendent, graduation rates, funding, the "Purple Heart School" distinction, and what it means to "be the bean."

DJ Trae is the guest. You may know him as the DJ that provides the entertainment for events in our community, but do you really know him? Do you know his first name? Our team loves DJ Trae and the heart he has for our community. Listen, like, and share.

David Vincent has been the Sheriff of Citrus County for more than six motnhs and the community stands behinds it's decision to vote Dave in by giving him a 92% approval rating. Sheriff Vincent discusses a variety of topics like traffic enforcement, body cameras, and the new court decision on open carry of firearms.

Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips of ABC Action News is the guest. Denis has been covering the weather in the Tampa Bay area for more than 30 years. The discussion is a good balance of talking weather and getting to know Denis as a husband, father, and community member that goes out of his way to help others.

Keith Taylor of Keith Taylor Law Group, joins the broadcast to discuss his book, Beyond Goodbye: Navigating the Emotional, Practical, and Legal Aspects of Losing a Loved One. With 32 years of legal practice, Keith's offers a practical step-by-step approach to dealing with the loss of a loved one. This is an important discussion because, nearly everyone deals with this critical issue at some po...

Jessica Hirsch shared the story of her ALICE journey at the Striving and Surviving townhall recently hosted by our United Way and the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce. For so many attendees, Jessica was the highlight of the event and we are happy to have her live on our broadcast.

Citrus County's newest commissioner shares the funny election night story about her husband who assumed she lost. We also get a little history on Mrs. Barek and her priorities.

We continue our commissioner interviews with District 2 Commissioner Diana Finegan. Among other topics, we discuss the sepitic to sewer project in Cambridge Greens and lessons learned from her childhood in Floral City. As longtime friends, George and Diana talk about the importance of honest dialogue and being able to disagree with someone and still work together.

Citrus County Commissioner Jeff Kinnard joins us to discuss a wide range of topics. He shares his thoughts about the current board and county staff. He also talks about the process of preparing for county commission meetings and other boards that he sits on. To top it all off, we learn about him being the chair of the cheerleading squad and why he is excited for the future in Citrus County.

Citrus County Commissioner Holly Davis is the guest. She shares her insights on being a commissioner in commission chambers and outside of chambers. She also discusses important issues like growth management.

Dr. Vernon Lawter is Vice-President of Regional Campuses at the College of Central Florida. Dr. Lawter shares his educational and vocational background that led him the become a member of the President's Staff at CF. We also discuss some of the more notable programs at CF that offer opportunities for students to pursue great careers without a huge pricetag.

Crystal River City Manager Audra Curts is the guest. Get to know her as she talks about her journey from Cleveland to Crystal River and her leadership philosophy.

Inverness City Manager, Eric Williams, joins the broadcast to discuss the structure of city government, his role within that structure, and what he is excited about when he looks to the future.

Retired Citrus County Judge Trish Thomas is the guest. Judge Thomas talks about her road to becoming a judge, the case involving Ted Williams' head, and other reflections from her time on the bench.