It was a time of stunning episodes of boom and bust, an era of extremes, a decade of historic changes that point to Florida’s future. In Dreams in the New Century, eminent historian Gary Mormino illuminates early twenty-first-century Florida and its connections to some of the most significant events in contemporary American history.

Mormino will be joined by former Executive Director of the Florida Humanities, Steve Seibert to discuss the deep conflicts at the heart of Florida talk more about how he unravels Florida’s complicated recent history in a gripping, informative, and fascinating narrative.

Gary R. Mormino is the Frank E. Duckwall professor emeritus in history at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He continues to teach a class in Modern Florida and World War II. Presently, he is the scholar in residence at the Florida Humanities. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. His first book, Immigrants on the Hill: Italians in St. Louis was published by University of Illinois Press and received the Howard Marraro prize for the best work in Italian history. In 1987, he collaborated with George Pozzetta in the publication of The Immigrant World of Ybor City (University of Illinois Press). In 2005, Mormino wrote Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida. The book was adapted for the PBS documentary, The Florida Dream, which received a regional Emmy In 2012, Florida Trend conveyed the honor of “Florida Icon.” That same year he was honored by the Florida House in Washington D.C. for his literary accomplishments. In 2015, he was the recipient of the Florida Humanities Council’s Lifetime Achievement in Writing. In 2020, the University Press of Florida published Millard Fillmore Caldwell: Governing on the Wrong Side of History. His new book, Dreams in a New Century, a study of Florida, 2000-2010, has recently been released.

Steven M. Seibert recently retired from serving as the Executive Director of Florida Humanities, the statewide affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Seibert oversaw the organization’s work in developing, funding, and sponsoring hundreds of public programs that explore Florida’s history, culture, values, and ideas in communities around the state. Prior to his service heading Florida Humanities, Seibert served as a member of its Board of Directors and as the Board Chair. Seibert was elected to two terms on the Pinellas County Commission, starting in 1992, and served as its Chairperson twice. He chaired or sat on numerous regional and statewide committees usually dealing with water, transportation, land use or environmental issues. Gov. Jeb Bush tapped Seibert in 1999 to lead Florida’s Department of Community Affairs, and he served in that capacity until 2003. As of October 1st, 2020, Steve Seibert has left the day-to-day work world, preferring to describe it as “taking a gap year” rather than as “retiring.” After years of experience ranging from politics to the humanities, from the practice of law to a laser focus on solving disputes, Steve is making himself available to those who need consultation within his expertise.