Florida Specifier Podcast
The Florida Specifier Podcast is an issue, policy, and technology-based program produced by the Editorial Board of the Florida Specifier. It is a recurring podcast that is focused on news and information related to Florida’s natural resources with the people who dedicate their personal and professional lives to the lifeblood of our state. Hosted by Brett Cyphers and Ryan Matthews, as well as intermittent hosts and special guests, the podcast will highlight and examine the most pressing environmental issues that face our state, both emerging and historical. We will hear from the regulators, legislators, professionals, and passionate champions of Florida’s environment in each episode.
Episodes
In this episode of the Florida Specifier podcast, host Ryan Matthews and co-host Brett Cyphers, along with Editorial Board members Patrick Gillespie and Jeff Littlejohn gather in the newly minted Specifier Media Studio to go through the major policy themes shaping Florida as Committee Week number four moves forward. The team unpacks the House’s property tax proposals, looming budget pressures, and the sprint toward the January 13 s...
In this special episode, host Brett Cyphers welcomes listeners to a dynamic conversation with four former secretaries of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection — Herschel T. Vinyard Jr., Jon Steverson, Shawn Hamilton, and Ryan Matthews — moderated by current Secretary Alexis Lambert. Recorded at the Environmental Permitting Summer School in Marco Island, the panel reflects on how Florida’s environmental policies have ev...
In this episode of the Florida Specifier Podcast, hosts Ryan Matthews and Brett Cyphers are joined by fellow editorial board members Patrick Gillespie and Jeff Littlejohn for a wide-ranging conversation on the latest developments shaping Florida’s water and environmental policy.
The team kicks off by recapping summer conference season, including Environmental Permitting Summer School in Marco Island, and looks ahead to the...
This special joint episode from Water for Fighting and the Florida Specifier Podcast—a product of the Specifier Media Group—was recorded in front of a live audience at the American Water Resources Association’s annual conference in Key West. Host, Brett Cyphers sits down with three of Florida’s most influential voices in water policy and advocacy: Kim Shugar, Senior Advisor and Environmental Policy Lead at the Arrow Group; Adam Bla...
In this episode of the Florida Specifier Podcast, Ryan Matthews, Brett Cyphers and Jeff Littlejohn sit down with Doug Corbett, Director of Sales and Marketing at the JW Marriott Marco Island. Together, they reflect on the rich history of the Environmental Permitting Summer School, now in its 39th year and gearing up for its 40th anniversary.
The conversation blends personal stories, family legacies, and the special connection th...
In this episode of The Florida Specifier Podcast, co-hosts Brett Cyphers and Ryan Matthews are joined by Representative Toby Overdorf, an environmental consultant, engineer, and longtime legislator, as he enters his final year in the Florida House.
Recorded on-site at the 39th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School, the conversation explores how Representative Overdorf’s background continues to shape his legislative prior...
In this episode of theFlorida Specifier Podcast, Brett Cyphers is joined by editor-in-chief Patrick Gillespie and editorial board member Jeff Littlejohn for a lively conversation that dives into Florida’s finalized state budget, line-item vetoes, and what it all means for environmental funding—particularly water quality grants and Everglades restoration.
Special guest Jamie Sheehan, Conference Director of the Environmental Permi...
In this episode of the Florida Specifier Podcast, hosts Brett Cyphers and Ryan Matthews are joined by editorial board members Jeff Littlejohn and Patrick Gillespie for a dynamic roundtable conversation that blends policy insight with candid storytelling. As Florida approaches a new fiscal year, the team tackles the looming uncertainty surrounding the state budget. With the House and Senate still at odds—particularly over proposed t...
In this episode of the Florida Specifier Podcast, hosts Brett Cyphers and Ryan Matthews are joined by fellow members of the Florida Specifier editorial board: Jeff Littlejohn and Patrick Gillespie. Together, they dive into the fast-moving first week of Florida’s legislative session, analyzing the impact of delayed committee meetings, the challenges of processing nearly 1,800 filed bills, and the likelihood of fewer than 225 bills m...
In this episode, Ryan and Brett get to catch up with 5th generation Floridian, former President of the Florida Senate, and Florida’s 13th Commissioner of Agriculture – Wilton Simpson.
They discuss the state of agriculture in Florida today; the massive reach of the Department’s responsibilities; the tremendous work of Department staff in helping hurricane preparedness and recovery, as well as wildfire prevention and firefighting;...
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