On this episode of Direct with Dana, host Dana Brooks talks with Jay Greene, director of sales and marketing at Hotel Indigo in Tallahassee's College Town and host of a Sunday gospel program on Hallelujah 95.3.

Jay shares his adoption story, his 15 years in gospel radio, and how a hotel leader convinced him that "if you can sell radio, you can sell hotels." He and Dana talk about running a College Town hotel that stays busy almost all year, staffing around the college calendar, what downtown could learn from College Town, and the responsibility he feels to "hold the door open" for the next generation. They also discuss growth, Tallahassee's dependence on government, fatherhood, mentoring young men, and why Jay believes the community needs a real conversation about who it wants to be.

Recorded Oct. 27, 2026, before Tallahassee's Nov. 3 municipal election. The views expressed are the speakers' own.

In this episode:

- Jay's adoption story

- From gospel radio to hotel sales

- Standing on the shoulders of those who came before: the Hotel Duval story

- What downtown can learn from College Town

- Running a hotel that's busy year-round, and staffing it

- Growth, FSU Health and depending on government

- Deciding who Tallahassee wants to be

- Accountability, responsibility and fatherhood

Hosted by Dana Brooks. Heard Mondays 12–1 PM on Real Talk 93.3. Presented by Fasig Brooks.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oRifIyfJmrc

Chapters:

0:00 Welcome to Direct with Dana

0:31 Meet Jay Greene of Hotel Indigo

1:32 Jay's adoption story

3:40 Growing up in Daytona Beach

4:26 Family, and what brought him to Tallahassee

7:25 From gospel radio to hotel sales

9:37 His Sunday gospel show on Hallelujah 95.3

11:20 Standing on their shoulders: the Hotel Duval story

12:45 Do young people know their history?

14:28 Race relations in Tallahassee

16:48 What downtown can learn from College Town

19:42 Private business in a government town

22:27 A College Town hotel that's busy year-round

26:00 Staffing, and what hospitality really means

28:56 $100 million for downtown, and hosting visitors

30:40 Flat growth, FSU Health and depending on government

32:46 Deciding who Tallahassee wants to be

33:41 The tone of local politics

35:13 What a capital city could be

37:01 Would Jay run for office?

37:41 Young Black men: accountability and responsibility

39:46 Fatherhood

41:10 Mentoring within your circle of influence

43:03 Closing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Direct with Dana, host Dana Brooks talks with Dr. Erwin Jackson, a Tallahassee businessman, Ph.D. counseling psychologist and longtime City Hall watchdog. They discuss ethics, transparency and how city government works.

They cover how he became involved in local government, his years of working with federal investigators, the city employees who shared information with him, and how he thinks public life changes people. They also talk about the rules for City Commission aides. That includes a complaint Dr. Jackson has filed with the city's Independent Ethics Board, and his proposal that commission aides report to the city manager. Dana questions him throughout, including on whether he holds everyone to the same standard.

Recorded Oct. 27, 2026, ahead of Tallahassee's Nov. 3 municipal election.

Note: The opinions and allegations in this conversation are Dr. Jackson's own. His ethics complaint is pending, and no findings of wrongdoing have been made. Direct with Dana does not endorse candidates.

In this episode:

• Why he goes by "Dr. Jackson" at City Commission meetings
• His background: psychology, business and student housing
• Working with federal investigators, and looking back on those cases
• City employees who shared information with him
• The rules for City Commission aides, and his pending ethics complaint
• His proposal: commission aides report to the city manager
• A psychologist's view on how public life changes people
• The biomass plant story, in his words

📍 Direct with Dana | Tallahassee, Florida

🎙️ Hosted by Dana Brooks | Featuring Dr. Erwin Jackson

📻 Heard Mondays 12–1 PM on Real Talk 93.3

⚖️ Presented by Fasig Brooks

Subscribe and follow Direct with Dana for straight talk for forward thinkers.

#Tallahassee #Election2026 #LocalGovernment #DirectWithDana #Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.