Fluent in Floridian is a podcast featuring the Sunshine State’s brightest leaders talking about the issues most important to the people of Florida and its more than 100 million yearly visitors. These issues include health care, economic development, environmental protection, transportation, tourism, politics, taxes, education, energy and more.   

Fluent in Floridian is a new podcast featuring the Sunshine State’s brightest leaders talking about the issues most important to the people of Florida and its more than 100 million yearly visitors. These issues include health care, economic development, environmental protection, transportation, tourism, politics, taxes, education, energy and more.   

Latest

Episode 111

President + CEO of Conservation FL Traci Deen

Traci Deen has dedicated her career to advocating for Florida, first as a public defender and now as the CEO of Conservation Florida, a nonprofit focused on preserving the state’s water, land and wildlife. With over 34 million acres of land, Florida’s ecosystems are central to the state’s identity. But now, more than ever, they need our protection.

In this episode, Traci sits down with SMPR President Heidi Otway to share her journey, what drives her passion, and why every Floridian has a role in protecting this special place they call home.

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Episode 92
Florida Lottery Secretary John Davis
Education

Florida Lottery Secretary John Davis joins SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway to discuss his journey from top-ranked high school recruit and star safety for the Florida State Seminoles to his current position leading the Florida Lottery.

Tune in to their conversation to hear Secretary Davis share stories of leadership from both on and off the field.

Episode 91
Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn
Politics

Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn was elected to lead the City of Tampa out of the Great Recession. His vision has helped transform the city into a place where people want to live, work, play and invest. Buckhorn joins SalterMitchell PR CEO and Founder April Salter to discuss the roots of his political DNA, his storied career in Tampa, and why he believes mayors can make the biggest impact on a city.

Episode 90
Miami-Dade College President Madeline Pumariega
Education

Miami-Dade College President Madeline Pumariega has had a courtside seat to the growth of the country’s largest public college. Listen to her conversation with SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway about the importance of basketball in her life, her journey to become a statewide leader in education, her former role as Chancellor of the Florida College System, and the vision she has for the future of Miami-Dade College.

Episode 89
Author and Outdoorsman Jim McClellan
Environment

Author and outdoorsman Jim McClellan joins SalterMitchell PR CEO April Salter to discuss his book, “Life Along the Apalachicola River,” their time spent served together under Governor Chiles, and the work Jim is doing to preserve the history, culture, and economic vitality of the Apalachicola River Valley.

Episode 88
Poynter Institute President Neil Brown
Media

In our latest episode of Fluent in Floridian, journalist and Poynter Institute President Neil Brown joins SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway to discuss the evolving role of media in our society, how Brown is shaping the next generation of journalists and some of the head-scratching Florida stories that Brown has broken.

Join us as Brown details his journey from the Miami Herald to the Tampa Bay Times, and shares how the Poynter Institute is preserving quality, ethical, local news.

Episode 87
Fair Food Program Founder Greg Asbed
Advocacy

In this episode of Fluent in Floridian, agricultural and human rights activist Greg Asbed joins SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway to discuss his revolutionary journey in combatting human trafficking and slavery in one of Florida’s biggest farmworker communities. Tune in as he details his two-decade-long fight to make Florida the nation’s leader in farmworker conditions.

Episode 86
Labor and Employment Lawyer and Florida Chamber of Commerce Past Chair Charles Caulkins
Law

In this episode, SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway is joined by Florida Trend 500 Most Influential Leader and 2019-2021 Chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Charles “Charley” Caulkins. They discuss his childhood, his transition to Florida, his work as a nationally-recognized labor and employment lawyer, and the Sunshine State’s business boom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode 85
Orlando City Soccer Club Founder Kay Rawlins
Sports

In this episode of Fluent in Floridian, Orlando City Soccer Club Founder Kay Rawlins joins SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway to discuss her remarkable journey to becoming a prominent female figure in the male-dominated sports world of soccer. From banking in the U.K. to owning two preschools to founding a soccer club in the U.S., Kay is a natural-born changemaker and leader. Tune in as she discusses the most exciting moments of her career and how the club became a beloved part of Orlando’s culture and community.

Episode 84
Award-Winning Economist & UCF Institute for Economic Forecasting Director Dr. Sean Snaith
Economics

In this episode of Fluent in Floridian, Sean Snaith, PhD joins Heidi Otway in a conversation that travels the globe. From America’s Rust Belt to Cairo, Egypt, to Kingston, Jamaica and other stops in between, Dr. Snaith studied economies and taught across the U.S. and in foreign countries before calling the University of Central Florida home. Tune in as he takes us through his journey from humble beginnings in Pennsylvania to becoming an award-winning economist.