In this episode, FSA provides a Week 1 legislative recap by discussing the status of constitutional carry and the Governor’s State of the State address. We then sit down with former House member Bob Cortes, who is currently the Government Affairs Coordinator for Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma. Bob is a great asset to FSA and you get to hear all about why on this week’s show! 

In this episode, FSA provides a preview of the 2023 legislative session. We discuss the sheriffs’ legislative priorities, highlight the various public safety bills that have been filed and review the legislative priorities of Governor Ron DeSantis.  We also interview Ryan Matthews and Angela Drzewiecki of GrayRobinson. Ryan and Angela are lobbyists for FSA, and offer key insights on the upcoming legislative session.

In this episode, FSA hears from Congressman Mike Waltz, who proudly serves Florida’s 6th Congressional District and is the first Green Beret elected to Congress. Congressman Waltz talked about his support for the Federal 1033 Program, which provides surplus military equipment to local law enforcement. The program has saved not only lives, but taxpayers’ dollars over the past two decades. Congressman Waltz is the new Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, and he is determined to be part of the new generation of leadership in Congress: servant leaders who lead by example with their values and deliver results.

In this episode, FSA speaks with Ben Bawden, who previews the keys issues confronting the 118th Congress.  Ben is a partner at Brooks Bawden & Moore and represents Major County Sheriffs of America at the federal level. Ben highlights many of the important public safety issues that will be debated over the next year in our nation’s Capitol and gives us a firsthand account of advocacy work he does for sheriffs in Congress. 

In this episode, FSA speaks with the president of Major County Sheriffs of America, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma at the conclusion of their successful winter conference in Washington, D.C.  Sheriff Lemma talks about all the big issues that were covered as well as gives a summary of the remarks made by the Director of the FBI, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and many more influential federal policy makers. 

In this episode, FSA speaks with author Rafael Mangual about his new book, Criminal (In)Justice: What the Push for Decarceration and Depolicing Gets Wrong and Who It Hurts Most.  Rafael addressed the sheriffs during their winter conference, and in this interview he expands on his discussion of what his research has found to be most effective in reducing violent crime in our communities. He also makes the case for why sheriffs need to continue to be strong advocates for effective crime reduction strategies in their communities by pushing back against the false narratives that so many reform advocates have made in the past.

In this episode, FSA speaks with Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith about the various public safety initiatives he has going in his county. Florida’s drug epidemic has been devasting to so many families, and Sheriff Smith has taken a balanced approach of addressing both the supply and demand of drugs. By supporting substance abuse treatment, Sheriff Smith has been able to address the demand side while establishing robust enforcement efforts to reduce the supply of deadly drugs in his community.  We also discuss his great work in building and growing the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association into a thriving organization that helps support deputies and their families every day.

In this episode, FSA speaks with Rachel Joy Baribeau on the power to change the narrative and find purpose in life. Rachel was a sportscaster for 17 years, before developing #ImChangingtheNarrative with student-athletes in mind.  It is Rachel’s belief that one crooked course made straight is everything. One misstep not taken means one fewer victim in the world. And one fewer life thrown away because of a split-second bad decision. Her mission is to promote positive mental health and GOOD love for yourself and others to serve as inspiration for students, professionals and parents to create an individual legacy of purpose, passion and platform.

In this episode, FSA speaks with Rich Diviney, a bestselling author, leadership and human performance expert, and a retired Navy SEAL commander. As the officer in charge of training for a specialized SEAL command, Rich spearheaded the creation of the first-ever “Mind Gym.” The Mind Gym focuses on physical, mental and emotional disciplines so that special operators can train their brains to perform faster, longer and better in all environments. Rich talks to us about the teachings in his book, “The Attributes,” which specifically deals with mastering the innate qualities that drive high performance so that teams perform optimally – at any time and in any situation, especially stressful ones.  To learn more about Rich and his book, visit: https://theattributes.com/  

In this episode, FSA speaks with retired FBI Special Agent George Piro about his time interrogating Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein. In 2004, George had been with the FBI for only five years before getting this assignment. But because of his ability to speak Arabic and his calm and contemplative demeanor, George was the perfect team leader to find out how far Saddam’s atrocities had reached throughout the Middle East.  As we approach the 20th anniversary of the war in Iraq, listeners will learn about the effectiveness of report-based interrogation techniques as well as the lessons we can all learn from this harrowing experience.