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.

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.

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.