Established in 1982 to preserve the memories of Orlando’s vanishing landmarks
and the contributions of Orlandoans, past and present, Orlando Remembered
strives to preserve and amplify the stories of Greater Orlando.
History Exchange: Orlando Stories II
Join us for our next History Exchange
on Thursday, February 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
for an evening celebrating the stories that make Orlando the City Beautiful!
Enjoy a meet-and-greet from 5:30–6 p.m. with complimentary light bites and drinks, followed by a moderated program featuring notable Orlandoans sharing their favorite Orlando stories.
This is your chance to connect, share your own stories, and help keep Orlando’s history alive for generations to come.
The History Exchange will take place at the Orange County Regional History Center at 65 E. Central Blvd. on the corner of Magnolia Ave. and Central Blvd. in the heart of downtown Orlando. The museum is located downtown in the Orange County’s historic 1927 courthouse. Parking is available in the Library Garage located across from the public library at 112 E. Central Blvd. Members of the Historical Society of Central Florida receive 2 hours free parking.
Orlando Stories II Speakers
Ben Brotemarkle
Since 2008, Ben has been employed as the executive director of the Florida Historical Society where he serves as the producer and host of “Florida Frontiers: The Weekly Radio Magazine of the Florida Historical Society” and the public television series “Florida Frontiers.” Prior to joining FHS, Ben worked in the field of public broadcasting in Orlando for 13 years and spent much of that time as the creator, producer and host of the weekly radio magazine “The Arts Connection” featured on NPR.
Walter Hawkins
Walter G. Hawkins is formerly the Director of Urban Development for the City of Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency, serving the City of Orlando for almost 30 years. He is responsible for overseeing the revitalization of the Parramore District and served as Chair of the Luminary Green Selection Panel at Creative Village. He is president of the Jones High School Historical Society, and in 1969, he was among the Black students who protested to keep Jones High School open.
Scott Maxwell
Scott Maxwell is a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel. Scott joined the Sentinel newsroom in 1998, when he covered Orange County. He started penning a column in 2002 and has received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society of Newspaper Editors and others. Before coming to Orlando, Scott wrote for the Winston-Salem Journal and the Chapel Hill Herald. Scott graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism.
Kevin McNamara
Kevin moved to Winter Park in 1962 at the age of 10 with his parents and 8 siblings. He was a member of the St. Margaret Mary Grade School Class of 1966, Bishop Moore High School Class of 1970 and FTU(UCF) Class of 1974. He worked at Farm & Home Irrigation Co. for 8 years before finding his career at GOAA including work at both MCO & ORL. He retired in 2018 after 35 years at our local airports, the final 26 as the Director of Orlando Executive Airport.
Jill Shargaa
Jill Shargaa is a native Orlandoan – one of few in captivity – who has been eating and drinking since she was born. She is a product of the Orange County Public School System, where she excelled in eating and drinking, and is really lousy at math. She’s written one-liners for Joan Rivers and Carol Leifer. She’s written and performed three Pecha Kucha shows here in Orlando. Jill has performed a TED Talk in N.Y.C. on the overuse of the word “awesome,” which later became one of the “Best of TED talks for 2014.”
Judith Smelser
Judith Smelser is president and general manager of Central Florida Public Media, the only local nonprofit news outlet serving the nine-county Central Florida region. In 2024, she spearheaded the rebranding of WMFE to Central Florida Public Media, representing the nonprofit’s evolution into a multimedia organization dedicated to serving the region with trustworthy, independent journalism. She is also a co-founder of the News Collaborative of Central Florida, a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged region.