In 2019, Desmond Meade was featured in TIME magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential list for his leading efforts to empower and civically re-engage local communities in Florida.

Meade has seen his fair share of hardship and struggle. He was incarcerated, homeless, but later turned his life around and earned a law degree. Now he’s the President of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and last year lead the efforts to pass Amendment 4 – One of the largest expansions of voting rights in Florida’s history.

Listen to his conversation with SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway as they discuss his journey from felon to nationally-recognized activist.

George LeMieux’s passion for politics began at an early age when a pivotal moment made him realize that being a part of public office can be truly impactful.

LeMieux went on to lead Charlie Crist’s successful gubernatorial campaign and serve as Chief of Staff to the governor before being appointed as Florida’s 34th Senator in the 111th Congress. In 2012, he founded the LeMieux Center for Public Policy at Palm Beach Atlantic University and today, he enjoys his new role as author.

Tune in to hear his conversation with SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway as they discuss his political career, how the LeMieux Center engages students through powerful speakers and research, and his first book, “Florida Made: The 25 Most Important Figures Who Shaped the State.”

Flagler College President Dr. Joseph Joyner is a third-generation educator and his passion for the classroom has been the guiding force of his career.

From Florida State University football player to teacher to superintendent of St. Johns County School District, Dr. Joyner’s work and leadership has been recognized many times over for its commitment to students. Now, Dr. Joyner enjoys serving as a college President for one of Florida’s most historic institutions for higher education, where he is creating a diverse and inclusive community.If you enjoyed this episode, you may enjoy our episode with Florida State University President John Thrasher or our many other higher education guests.

NASCAR fans, this one’s for you. This week on Fluent in Floridian, International Speedway Corporation VP of Sales and Marketing Frank Kelleher takes the driver’s seat to share what life is like working for one of the largest motorsports corporations in the world.From the high-energy, epic sporting event of the Daytona 500 (the racing world’s Super Bowl) to the ultimate fan experiences the company has created through destination race tracks and dynamic corporate sponsorships – this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

Tune in now to hear Frank’s fascinating conversation with SalterMitchell PR Heidi Otway and get an inside look into Florida’s billion-dollar racing industry.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may enjoy our episodes with Florida Sports Foundation President Angela Suggs, Jacksonville Jaguars President Mark Lamping and FSU Heisman Trophy Winner and New York Knicks PG Charlie Ward.

At the end of every Fluent in Floridian podcast, we ask our guests the same four questions. One of those questions is “Who is a Florida leader that you admire?”

In this compilation episode, you’ll hear fascinating answers to this question by Orlando Mayer Buddy Dyer, Florida Sports Foundation President Angela Suggs, U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Larry Keefe, Tampa Bay Times Editor of Editorials Tim Nickens, Universal Orlando Public Relations Director Alyson Sologaistoa, Orlando Sentinel Columnist Scott Maxwell, former State Representative Matt Caldwell, and Florida Author Jeff Klinkenberg.

Growing up in Tampa as a young girl, Susan Glickman had a childhood that created a heart for advocacy.As a child, she saw her father open one of the few desegregated dentist offices in Tampa. As a young Jewish woman, she attended Episcopal and Catholic private schools. Early in her career, she helped her brother successfully run for Hillsborough County Commissioner.

Now, as a seasoned environmental advocate, Susan goes by the moniker Clean Energy Girl – a superhero battling big money interests in politics.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may enjoy our episodes with Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper, Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg and Miami-Dade County Chief Resilience Officer Jim Murley.

At 75 years young, Dr. Norman E. Thagard is a Floridian whose work has been immortalized in history books. While he jokes about being a foot-note on Sally Ride’s first trip to space, Dr. Thagard has had a long and illustrious career as a doctor, pilot, engineer, astronaut and first American Cosmonaut.

A two-time graduate of Florida State University, Dr. Thagard exemplifies a lifelong commitment to education. He attended the University of Florida in his mid-sixties in pursuit of an MBA, a degree that he felt he needed as he worked to co-found the Challenger Learning Center in Downtown Tallahassee.

In his interview with April Salter, Dr. Thagard discusses the early days of NASA’s space program, the intense training and schooling he endured to become an astronaut, and the nearly six-months he spent in space with a Russian crew.

Florida Polytechnic University President Dr. Randy Avent embodies what it means to bring application to education. A longtime researcher, Dr. Avent has led the university to go all in on STEM studies. When students aren’t in the classroom or library working hard, they’re likely to find Dr. Avent enjoying the beautiful campus, taking part in ping pong tournaments or attending the annual integral bee on campus.

Prior to Florida Polytechnic, Dr. Avent obtained his PhD. in Biomedical Mathematics and Engineering from the University of North Carolina, served at the Department of Defense and conducted research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In his conversation with SalterMitchell PR President Heidi Otway, he discusses the many fields of study for students at Florida Poly, including brain mapping, autonomous vehicles and quantum communications.

Albert Einstein famously said, “we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Thinking differently has never been a problem for Chris Castro, the Director of Sustainability for the City of Orlando and a self-proclaimed ‘ecopreneur,’ who has made it his mission to catalyze change through organizations such as IDEAS for US, Fleet Farming and Citizen Energy.

The UCF alumnus has given back to his adopted Central Florida community with his devotion toward ameliorating the symptoms of global warming. His goal: to create a model of sustainability that can be replicated throughout the world.Learn more about Chris and how he plans on saving the planet in his Fluent in Floridian episode with Heidi Otway.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy our episodes with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Miami-Dade County CRO Jim Murley, and Florida Conservation Voters Executive Director Aliki Moncrief.