Yolanda Cash Jackson may be Florida Trend’s latest Floridian of the Year, but the self-described “girl from Liberty City” has been making her mark as a lobbyist for over two decades.

In her compelling conversation with SalterMitchell PR President and Partner Heidi Otway, Jackson shares her story of growing up in South Florida and pivoting to a lobbying career in her late-twenties. They also discuss Jackson’s notable achievements, such as spearheading the effort to install a sculpture of Mary McLeod Bethune — founder of Bethune-Cookman University — in Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol and securing record funding for Florida’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Harris Rosen made a name for himself as Florida’s largest independent hotelier. A self-made millionaire, Rosen was president and COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts. But, he would have never pursued a career in hospitality had it not been for a chance encounter with Marilyn Monroe as a child.

Not just a hotelier, Rosen was a visionary businessman whose ventures include an in-house healthcare company and extensive philanthropic work, ranging from early childhood education and cancer research initiatives, to his storied ‘adoption’ of the Tangelo Park neighborhood in Orlando.

Growing up in Tampa in the era of Title IX, Mayor Jane Castor stood out from the crowd – literally. She sprouted to over six-feet tall by the second grade.

The first in her family to attend college, a full athletic scholarship allowed her to pursue a criminal justice degree at the University of Tampa. Meanwhile, a federal spending freeze rerouted her ambitions from the Secret Service to the Tampa Police Department, where she became the first openly gay woman to serve as chief.

After more than 30 years of serving and protecting, she turned her attention to leading the city and was elected the 59th Mayor of Tampa. Today, she continues to serve the nation’s third-fastest growing city on issues ranging from affordable housing and public transportation, to economic and community development.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.