Speakers

Iain Christie With 20+ years of experience in digital, tech, publishing, and journalism, Iain Christie has been with the Google News Initiative for four years. He trains across journalism and audience/revenue covering the US and Canada.

Katie Stretch is Senior Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World Resort, overseeing Disney Springs, sports and recreation, water parks, experience optimization, and environmental operations. She joined Disney in 2003 as an intern while studying engineering at the University of Central Florida and has since led major initiatives across Disney parks worldwide. Stretch played key roles in launching Pixar Pier and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and helped guide Disney’s safe reopening during the pandemic.

Lawrence Mower is a correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau, where he covers the governor and Legislature and has led the state’s coverage of the insurance crisis

Rheya Tanner Cole is Art Director and senior InDesign Enjoyer at Em Agency.

Sean Snaith, Ph.D., is the director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting and a nationally recognized economist in the field of business and economic forecasting.

Katie Sanders is the editor-in-chief of PolitiFact at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Katie oversees PolitiFact’s nonprofit fact-checking newsroom and its Pulitzer Prize-winning website.

Ted Bridis is a University of Florida investigative reporting lecturer and founding editor of Fresh Take Florida, with a distinguished career that includes Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism and decades of leadership at The Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal.

Lisa Nellessen Savage has served as executive editor of the Pensacola News Journal since 2014, building a career with the USA TODAY Network and contributing to civic engagement as a founding board member of CivicCon.

Paul Runnestrand has been the executive editor of the Florida Times-Union since March 2023. He leads the Times-Union newsroom to deliver audience-focused coverage and directs news content of public interest and public impact. He has worked at the Times-Union since 2015 and is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communication.

Sergio Bustos became VP for News at WLRN in 2023, bringing decades of reporting and editorial leadership experience across major outlets and nonprofit journalism initiatives.

Adrian Ruhi is the Audience Development Editor for the Miami Herald and McClatchy's Florida newsrooms, focusing on audience engagement, social media and newsletter strategy.

Christian Blauvelt is assistant managing editor for digital engagement at the Tampa Bay Times, bringing extensive experience in audience strategy and culture journalism from leadership roles at IndieWire, BBC.com, and CBS New York.

Florida native Bert Robinson returned home in 2023 to become managing editor of the Orlando Sentinel after a distinguished 40-year journalism career in Northern California, highlighted by major awards and a Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom.

Jaime Marco is an internationally recognized leadership & customer experience entertrainer, keynote speaker, and change catalyst with over 20 years of experience helping organizations unlock their full potential. She’s the creator of the book Unfunkt™: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light - a fresh, funny, and deeply relatable guide to reclaiming your energy, focus, and leadership mindset.

LaToya Dennis joined Central Florida Public Media as News Director/Managing Editor in 2021. She’s been at the forefront of rethinking how to best reach underserved communities. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism from Michigan State University and serves on the board for the Public Media Journalists Association.

Art Director & Graphic Designer specializing in editorial design, branding, and visual storytelling.

Mark Katches has served as vice president and editor of the Tampa Bay Times for seven years and brings more than two decades of newsroom leadership, including roles at The Oregonian/OregonLive, the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Orange County Register.

Arionne Nettles is the Garth C. Reeves Eminent Scholar Chair and digital journalism instructor at Florida A&M University. A culture reporter, her work has appeared in The New York Times Opinion and other outlets. She is the author of We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything.

Ronald Dupont Jr. is editor of the Venice Gondolier and a lifelong journalist whose career includes the Palm Beach Post, The New York Times, and the St. Petersburg Times. A digital pioneer, he launched the Daily Sun’s website and later owned The High Springs Herald.

Justo “Jay” Rey is vice president of client strategy and advertising at the Tampa Bay Times and president of Tampa Bay Beacons. Since joining in 2007, he has led major growth, expanding circulation from 185,000 to over 350,000 across 13 titles. He holds degrees from FIU and Nova Southeastern and serves as vice chair of the Florida Press Association board.

Mark Wilson is president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, leading its advocacy, lobbying, and research efforts. He created the Florida Business Agenda and Grassroots Network and has led major reform campaigns. Named Floridian of the Year (2023), Wilson holds a CCE designation.

Kevin Berrier is Advertising Director at MDDC Advertising Services and an international speaker who helps sales teams apply AI and omni-channel strategy.

Roberto Gonzalez is a freelance photographer and Photo Editor for Orlando Magazine. With decades of experience across editorial and commercial photography, he has worked with clients including Universal Studios, Getty Images, the AP, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

J.C. Derrick is publisher of Mainstreet Daily News. He spent 18 years reporting on sports, education, and politics before joining Mainstreet in 2020 and serves on the Florida Press Association Board of Directors.

Alexandra Glorioso is a state government reporter for the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times’ Tallahassee bureau, covering Florida politics since 2016. Her reporting has driven major accountability actions, including high-level resignations and a criminal grand jury probe.

Catherine Walters, publisher of Orlando magazine and a Rollins College graduate, is a Central Florida native with deep expertise in brand development and media, having contributed nearly 600 stories and earning multiple honors, including the 2024 Public Service Coverage Award.