Meet 50 Florida leaders who will help make a better state for all of us
The November election is just five months away. This election year, the Bradenton Herald, along with the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald, will put a sharp focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future.
We know — because you’ve told us — that you want deeper insight into potential solutions our officials can pursue on everything from transportation and healthcare costs to housing affordability and sea level rise. And you want a better understanding of where our candidates stand on the policy issues that matter most.
To deliver this, today we are launching an important and long-lasting conversation between you and the leaders and influencers in our state — the Florida Influencer Series.
The Bradenton Herald, along with our sister papers in Florida, the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald, have chosen 50 influential Floridians (Bradenton.com/Influencers) from across our state to discuss the issues and engage in a thoughtful conversation about solutions our government and our communities can pursue together.
Our Influencers include banker and former Senator Mel Martinez; Carol Probstfeld, president of State College of Florida; Ken Lawson, head of Visit Florida; and the state director of AARP, Jeff Johnson, just to name a few.
Each has shared their biggest concern about securing the best future for the state.
For banker and former senator Mel Martinez, it's affordable housing. For Victoria Kasdin of We Care Manatee, it’s affordable and accessible healthcare. For entertainment icon Emilio Estefan, it’s the lack of infrastructure and planning for existing and future generations. Teachers union president Joanne McCall is focused on the growing educator shortage and Florida Hospital CEO Daryl Tol says mental health services are chronically underfunded and need attention.
You are a crucial part of this conversation.
The Bradenton Herald is asking you, our readers, what issues are most important this election year. We also want to know what questions you have for the Influencers. To capture your questions throughout the series, we are launching a new feature from a media-startup called Your Voice. It will be embedded in our stories and make this process both engaging and easy for you to participate.
Your feedback will help us set the course of the conversation through Election Day, as we survey the Influencers and bring them together for live public events to discuss solutions to the challenges you identify.
This is an important election year in Florida. We hope you will join us in keeping the conversation focused on the policy issues that matter most.
This story was originally published June 4, 2018 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Meet 50 Florida leaders who will help make a better state for all of us."