Fluent in Floridian

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.

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.

The man who never saw himself in local politics has presided over one of the most vibrant, up-and-coming cities in the Southeast. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has seen the city's rapid growth over the years and has been proactive in finding solutions for some of its most pressing needs. By his own admission, Mayor Dyer feels positive about the work he's been a part of in Orlando. He says that the barometer for being a good mayor is the ability to not worry about shopping at your neighborhood grocery store. In his interview with April Salter, he addresses the highs and lows of his job, including the Pulse shooting and the ripple effect it's had on the community at-large.