During this month’s professional development program, the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) will present “The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women and Other Wildlife” on Tuesday, September 21, from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM via Zoom. The event will feature Florida native Craig Pittman, an award-winning reporter and author. During the presentation, Pittman will take attendees on a journey through Florida, exploring Florida men, Florida women, and all the other wildlife in between through the lens of books, media, and journalism. Pittman graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him "the most destructive force on campus." 

After 31 years at the Tampa Bay Times, where he covered a variety of beats and several natural disasters — including the Florida Legislature — he now writes a weekly environmental issues column for the Florida Phoenix and co-hosts the popular podcast "Welcome to Florida." He's the author of six non-fiction books about Florida, including the New York Times bestseller “Oh, Florida: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country” and “Cat Tale: The Wild Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther." His most recent, published in September, is The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife.

“We’re living in interesting times in an interesting state, and no one writes about that better than award-winning author and journalist Craig Pittman,” says Melanie Reda, APR, CPRC, president of CWC-FPRA. “CWC is thrilled to present this virtual program, and we welcome anyone who is interested to join us.”

Tickets for the program are $10/FPRA members, $15/guests. To register, visit cwcfpra.com/events. This event is sponsored by Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast and Next-Mark. Visit cwcfpra.com for more information.