Get to know the Florida First team

It really says it all just in our name. The Florida First Travel Company is not so much a title as our DNA. We live, breathe and sell the Sunshine State. In fact, you could call us Florida cheerleaders, as we are all long-time, dyed-in-the-wool fans of holidays in this remarkable state. Between us we have more than 100 years’ experience of this part of America, and that translates to a rare level of knowledge and expertise.

That means you can be 100 per cent confident in getting the very best insight, knowledge and service when it comes to booking a holiday with us. From our tech team to our sales agents and resident experts, we are all fully invested in the Florida vibe and are passionate about our whole-hearted support for this superlative destination, in all its multi-faceted grandeur.

With that in mind, we thought we’d introduce you to the team who bring all this travel magnificence into play:

Frank Levene

Founder

A passion for Florida like no other place in the world that I have travelled. Owned a home and raised a family in Ponte Vedra Beach for the last 25 years. In awe of the beauty of Florida’s First Coast. The immaculate beaches, the glorious weather, the unexpected history, and the wonderful quality of life. We were struck by how little travelled and known was this part of the world only to find that much of authentic Florida was likewise undiscovered. As friends and family from the UK made trips to visit us all this only confirmed the wonderment and the delight of enjoying Florida in so many ways unexpected. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to do and make a Florida travel company that would seek to reveal Florida’s undiscovered secrets.

Favourite Beach: Ponte Vedra all the way from Micklers Landing to the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, and beyond. Miles and miles of beach to enjoy, the Atlantic breakers, and sighting the occasional whale heading along this magical coastline.
Favourite City: By way of an exceptional alternative love the beat that is special to Miami. The cuisine, the 1920’s classical architecture, the buzz of down town, and the delights of Key Biscayne.

Colin Brodie

Ace Advisor

Wow, where do I start? I have more than 40 years’ experience in the travel industry, including being European Director of Florida Tourism (later Visit Florida) from 1987-2016 and 17 years with British Airways. I was heavily involved in all the marketing, promotions, public relations, and advertising efforts for Florida in that time, and I’ve also been a member of various advisory committees, in Europe and the US, updating the tourism industry on trends and factors influencing international travel. The Sunshine State is firmly in my blood and, just as importantly, I’ve made it my mission to try to visit as many of Florida’s great beach bars as I can (and I heartily recommend www.floridabeachbar.com).

Favourite beach: Grayton Beach State Park, next to the cute town of Seaside in Florida’s Panhandle.
Favourite golf course: Crandon Golf Course on Key Biscayne, a public course open to everyone close to Miami. Fascinating fact – there are more than 1,500 wonderful courses in Florida. A lot of the world’s top golfers live here, including Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter, for that reason.
Favourite city: Miami. I helped to secure the Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special here in 1991, as well as Postcard from Miami with Clive James.

Nathan Garner

Web Whiz

Hello, or maybe I should say Greetings@Nathan.com! With more than 25 years’ experience, I am Florida First’s in-house website and digital design leader, with a career that has also spanned all the traditional disciplines of design, print, photography and broadcast advertising. That means you’ll nearly always find me either on my Mac, up a mountain or relaxing with a cold glass of cider. There are no mountains in Florida, of course, but I’m very happy with the beaches!

Favourite beach: Siesta Key, because of its proximity to my favourite city…
Favourite city: Sarasota. Just a cool place to hang out (with some great bars and, yes, craft cider!).

Simon & Susan Veness

Living the Dream

A big “Hello” from both of us! We are well known as the authors of the Brit Guide to Orlando and Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World book series, and we are lucky enough to live in Florida itself, in Orlando, close to all the many and varied attractions. We are still finding new discoveries and new corners of the state to enjoy after more than 25 years of exploring and writing about it for sources as varied as The Telegraph and The Sun, and we are genuinely living the Sunshine State dream. We’re also the primary content providers for Florida First as their resident experts, and we’re always happy to share our enthusiasm and knowledge with all-comers!

Favourite city/beach/attraction: No, we can’t single out any particular place from such a rich array of destinations, all of which have their charms. But do be sure to read our regular Blogs for our latest views and insights.