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.”

Since this episode of Fluent in Floridian was recorded, Adam Smith has taken a position with Mercury Public Affairs.

Adam Smith, Political Editor for the Tampa Bay Times, has quickly become one of 2018’s leading reporters. Focusing on state and national politics, Smith has successfully weathered the changing nature of political media coverage, having worked in the field for nearly three decades. Smith has been named one of the country’s Top 10 political reporters by the Columbia Journalism Review, previously served as the co-host of Bay News 9’s television show Political Connections, and is the creator of award-winning Florida politics blog, The Buzz.

Smith is fluent in Floridian. When asked about his favorite place to visit, Smith admits to a “love-hate” relationship with the city of Miami, but declares an appreciate for southwest Florida. “I always enjoy Southwest Florida. That seems to be a place, where I sort of take my family a fair amount to go and explore and visit. We’re a Boy Scout family, so we do a lot of camping and whatnot in that area too.”

Unknown to many, Smith is a fan of news and social media platform Twitter. “I love Twitter. I live on Twitter […].” After admitting to his fondness for the application, Smith soon details its underside. “I think for political reporters, the risk is you can get consumed by it and sort of lose track of the big picture and find yourself listening to the same sort of insider group that doesn’t really teach you much.” Smith notes that he plans to make a conscious effort to step back from the “minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour news cycle”.

Since this episode of Fluent in Floridian was recorded, Eric Draper has become the Director of the Florida State Parks System.

Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper, a professional conservationist, has dedicated his career to protecting the Sunshine State’s unique environment and wildlife. Having grown up during Florida’s environmental discovery period, Draper’s early life consisted of innocently wandering the state’s forests, as well as adventurously canoeing through the Hillsborough River near Tampa. His career aspirations developed during his participation in a political campaign aided by environmental groups. Today, Draper works diligently to protect and preserve Florida’s natural landscape.

Draper is fluent in Floridian. When asked about Florida’s uniqueness in relation to his position, he expresses his reverence for the Sunshine State. “Florida is the most beautiful place in the country. I just love the state of Florida and I love every part of it.” Draper continues his expression of admiration by raving on the state’s diverse fauna. “We have such amazing wildlife from the Florida panthers to our bird life and reptiles, alligators and crocodiles. There’s always something to see and always something to get excited about.”

Draper’s favorite animals are the reddish egret, a coastal heron bird, and the swallow-tailed kite, a pernine raptor. He describes the reddish egret as a “[…] bird that has the funny behavior of dancing while it’s fishing.” On the other hand, the swallow-tailed kite “[…] is always a harbinger of spring and one of those birds that, when you see it soaring in the sky or ducking around and catching dragonflies, you gotta say, ‘Oh, it’s a good day because I saw a swallow-tailed kite.’”

Florida State University President John Thrasher has dedicated his life to serving the Sunshine State. Within the span of 50 years, Thrasher has served in several respected roles within multiple fields, including the military, law, government, and education. Prior to assuming the role of 15th president of Florida State University, Thrasher served as Chairman of the Clay County School Board, speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, member of the Florida Senate, as well as chairman for the Republican Party of Florida.

Thrasher is Fluent in Floridian. When he isn’t leading one of the top 50 universities in the nation, he spends his time visiting two of Florida’s most beautiful destinations: St. Augustine Beach and Green Cove Springs. “We really love St. Augustine Beach but we love our little place in Green Cove Springs where we have a house still out in Clay County. We raised our children in that county.”

Outside of establishing the athletics-known university as a leading academic and research institution, Thrasher serves on the College Football Playoff Board of Managers. He notes that his position as a university president offers him a unique perspective as compared to other members. “I think having presidents involved, particularly understanding the academic side of the student-athlete […] is a very positive thing.”Listen to hear us talk about all of these issues and more.

If you enjoyed this interview, you might enjoy our episodes with FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson, University of Florida President Kent Fuchs and Chancellor of the State University System, Marshall Criser III.