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.

Barnett is fluent in Floridian. When asked of her favorite Florida person, place, or thing that deserves more recognition, she insists that the state’s agricultural industry is currently undervalued. “When I was a young girl in central Florida, it was the Citrus Belt. Agriculture defined the state of Florida. […] And today I think that because of growth, because of environmental issues, because of things like citrus greening, because the value of land is getting so high, because of environment concerns about water, about pollution, all of these things. Florida is moving away from agricultural base.”

Unknown to many, Barnett is the first female attorney hired by Holland and Knight. In her interview, Barnett is adamant on using her profession to uplift society. “I want to live up to that standard, of being a lawyer who helps people. […] We have a constitutional obligation to the citizens.”

Since this episode of Fluent in Floridian was recorded, Jerry Demings was elected mayor of Orange County, FL.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 moved up the leadership ranks to become the department’s first African-American chief in 1998.

In 2008, Demings became the department’s first African-American sheriff.Demings is fluent in Floridian. When asked of his favorite Florida person, place, or thing that deserves more attention, he insists that the answer is immigration reform. “We have lawful immigrants here that are working in our agricultural businesses and then of course we have undocumented persons who are also contributing to our economy, and I believe that we have got to do a better job as a nation of people and as Floridians, to address immigration reform.”

With more than 60% of the vote, Demings won the Orange County mayoral race in August of 2018. When previously asked about the mayor race, Demings indicated his strong interest in running for mayor, as well as the overwhelming amount of support he had garnered thus far. “It’s a humbling experience just to see the kind of outpouring of interest and support for me to pursue that endeavor. So I’m being prayerful about that and the main concern that my family supports it, making certain that my historic donor base support it and that the people support it.”

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 Environmental Journalists two times, as well as three first-place awards from the Florida Magazine Association. Pittman notes that his parents influenced his career aspirations. He states, “I always joked that my mom taught me to appreciate a good book and my dad taught me to appreciate a good story.”

Pittman is fluent in Floridian. When asked of his favorite Florida location to visit, he responds, “I really love going to the beach, just about any beach. I always say I’m a beach baby because I grew up going to the beach when I was a kid.” Pittman recalls listening to the sound of waves, picking up seashells, and realizing his connection to the environment through his youthful experiences at the beach.

Outside of his bestselling work Oh, Florida!: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country, Pittman is the author of nonfiction book The Scent of Scandal. The work focuses on a Florida court case involving charges of orchid smuggling.

Click here for a link to Craig’s book Oh, Florida!: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country.

Since this episode of Fluent in Floridian was recorded, Howard Simon has retired from the ACLU of Florida.

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 lobbying, membership and fund-raising programs. Simon has a Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in legal and political philosophy and social ethics and served as a philosophy professor at the University of Minnesota and the DePauw University in Indiana prior to working for the ACLU.Simon is fluent in Floridian. As an avid traveler, Simon attests that he loves several areas in Florida, particularly those on the state’s west coast. “I love St. Petersburg. That’s a great city. I love all the arts and the culture that exist in Sarasota. I love the theater in Sarasota and the great restaurants there.”

Unknown to many, Simon was an active supporter of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a college student, he campaigned in the south for the passage of the act. Today, Simon fights to ensure that voting rights are maintained for all individuals within the state of Florida.

Since this episode of Fluent in Floridian was recorded, Pam Bondi has taken a position with Ballard Partners in Washington, D.C.

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 notable public issues, including drug abuse and human trafficking. Additionally, Bondi has appeared on several cable news programs and worked for Fox News as a legal analyst. Bondi is the first woman Attorney General of the State of Florida.

Bondi is fluent in Floridian. She raves about the state’s natural landscape, specifically the Florida Everglades. She mentions photographer Carlton Ward’s Florida Wildlife Corridor project. “It’s a documentary. […] It starts at the tip of Miami, and they trek basically, all throughout the Everglades, and the Everglades are very important to me of course, and Florida forever. All throughout the Everglades, up through our entire state. I think the Everglades, and all of our beautiful parks and Florida, are so important.”

Before Bondi became the 37th Attorney General of Florida, she became a member of the Beta Lambda chapter of Delta Delta Delta during her time at the University of Central Florida. Bondi has been known to visit the award-winning international sorority and is continuously celebrated by the chapter for her post-graduation achievements.Link mentioned in this episode: YouCanStopHT.com

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 Board of Directors of the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation, the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, and the Grassy Waters Preserve.

Kitson is fluent in Floridian. When asked to name his favorite Florida person, place or thing that deserves more positive attention, his answer is simple: the entire state. “Florida’s not just a place to retire, but there’s a world of opportunity for people who are young and all ages, and just not only from a job perspective or to raise your family perspective, but an education perspective.” He notes that the state’s university system is successful by national metrics and asserts that Florida is far more than a retirement destination.

Unknown to many, Kitson had a notable career in the National Football League. Kitson played offensive guard for both the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 1985. Today, he is a member of both the NFL Alumni Association and the National Football League Players Association.

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 for politics was ignited early on and his shift from active political participation to political writing was influenced by his work with former Florida State University president Stan Marshall.

Schorsch is fluent in Floridian. When asked of his favorite Florida location, Schorsch responded, “It is Disney. I had never been to Disney before.” Schorsch notes that after taking his daughter to the popular tourist attraction, his family is now “always there.”

A fun fact about Schorsch is that he doesn’t abide by titles. When asked how he describes himself, he responds, “[…] I’ve come to like a Buddhist realization that I just am. And I try to avoid labels because they’re constricting.” He admits that he is a publisher and entrepreneur but avoids any other classification. “I’m not Madonna or Bono or something like that. […] I’m just Peter, if that makes any sense.”

(And yes, that picture is the “head shot” Peter sent us.)

Since this episode of Fluent in Floridian was recorded, Andrew Gillum has taken a position as a CNN political commentator.

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 sister to graduate high school and college.

Andrew is Fluent in Floridian. When asked about his favorite sport in the state this is what he said: “We’re really fortunate to have such a diverse set of opportunities at vacationing in our state. If I had to really be biased, I think I probably will prefer the more quiet sounds of the Panhandle, but if I’m out with my friends and college classmates, Miami Beach would be the spot.”Something that people might not know about Andrew is that he is a Miami Dolphins fan, going back to his days growing up in Richmond Heights in South Dade. Staying true to his roots, and his mom who is a die-hard fan, Andrew grew up singing the Dolphins’ fight song on Sunday mornings.

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 of the Florida State Board of Education. Additionally, Bradshaw is a sought-after public speaker and most recently, a successful bookstore owner.

Bradshaw is fluent in Floridian. The Mississippi native relocated to Florida to pursue opportunities in political campaigns. Upon doing so, she was immediately drawn to the state’s capital. “I love Tallahassee,” she states. Bradshaw is an adamant supporter of Florida State University, the city’s largest institution, and raves about its creative writing program. “There’s just so many talented writers in Tallahassee and through FSU […]. It’s the place to be in the creative writing world […].”

Though her impressive resume and 30 years of experience highlight her political influence and expertise, Bradshaw has a very clear passion for books and writing. In 2016, she opened the Midtown Reader, an independent bookstore located in Tallahassee, Florida. “Gosh, you know I’ve wanted to have a bookstore since I was a little girl.” she explains. “A place where people can agree to disagree in a civil fashion, and they can commit to continuing to learn and grow through content and programming, and through reading.”