ABOUT
Meet Our Team
Maryalicia Johnson, MBA
President & CEO, Public Speaking To Go, LLC
For more than fifteen years, Maryalicia has been involved in communications from behind the camera and in front of it. She started in smallTV and radio stations and ended up working at Channel Six (CBS), The Imagination Station and Fox 35 TV. She is a veteran media relations strategist and award-winning communicator, who has served as a spokesperson and Deputy Director of Communications for two high profile Orlando Mayors, Glenda E. Hood and Buddy Dyer. She has been caught on tape doing everything from starring in a skating video with Mayor Dyer, to pitching with Frank Viola at Tinker Field, to producing a national ABC Capital One Bowl Half-Time spot featuring Carrot Top. She has written speeches for Orlando’s top officials on a daily basis and been a spokesperson for the Fire Department, Downtown Transportation and Parking, Parks and Recreation and the Mayor’s Office.
In addition, she developed a nationally recognized spokesperson curriculum and public speaking business, publicspeakingtogo.com’s “One Day Solutions”, and has trained NFL Superbowl Celebrities, Orlando’s best known CEO’s, Harvard graduates and National Spokespeople.
Education
Maryalicia earned her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Florida International University (FIU-Miami, FL), Bachelors Degree in Radio/Television Communications from the University of Central Florida- U.C.F., and has completed coursework in the Nicholson Graduate Communications School, in addition to being a Nationally Certified Crisis Communications Instructor for F.E.M.A., (Dept. of Homeland Security), a Certified Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T) Trainer from the Emergency Management Institute, a graduate of an advanced “On-Camera Course” at Lisa Maile School of Image & Modeling, and a licensed Public Safety Fire Inspector from Florida State Fire College and Mid Florida Tech.
Awards and Honors
Maryalicia was awarded two Telly Awards in 2004 for co-hosting and writing a historic homes show called “Restore Orlando”, and producing and co-hosting Mayor Dyer’s Orlando Skate Park video promotion show, (yes, this was done on skates). She led a team that won the SAVVY AWARD in 2003 for the launch of the Orlando EnEspanol Website by City County Communicators, and was awarded the 1999 Woman of the Year in Government, by the Women’s Executive Council
Significant Achievements
Most recently Maryalicia produced an educational television marketing campaign with Miss America-Ericka Dunlap, Comedian-Carrot Top, and Pop Star- Mandy Moore to promote the importance of Pre-K Education for Mayor Dyer’s Pre-K Initiative. Additionally, Maryalicia helped to develop Orlando’s first and award winning Communications Department and Council television broadcast, she managed the development of Orlando En Espanol website, Spanish site for Mayor Glenda E. Hood, led the effort to transform the Orlando website cityoforlando.net into a more user-friendly award winning communications medium, and was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the Central Florida Domestic Preparedness Task Force and develop the current emergency spokespersons communication system called the Public Information Network.
Charmaine Beleele
Journalist and PR Educator
Charmaine is a valued member of our team. She specializes in profiles, press releases, web biographies, and human-interest stories. CharMaine offers clients a diverse array of story suggestions designed to bring their profile and their specialties into the public eye on both local and national levels. She earned a Masters in Communication and BA in Communication and English Composition, and maintains her status as an adjunct professor of Speech-Communication at the University of Arkansas.
Interviews with clients have resulted in profiles for clients in South America, Canada, England and Australia, as well as America. For seven years, from 6 to 11 of her articles have been published yearly in Rangefinder magazine, America’s oldest professional photography magazine. A writers’ writer, she has been teaching both writing and speaking in University classes as well as private Business English workshops for over 20 years. She has ghost-written articles for noted professional artist (add an s here). Her submissions have included such magazines as Ladies Home Journal, Self, Redbook, Entrepreneur Magazine, More, Ms., Parade and Sports Illustrated.
Charmaine’s writing and teaching career has taken her all over the country, from New York City to Phoenix. Following over 15 years of directing theatrical productions for college actors, she was honored to work as a writer’s consultant and theatrical director to original Off-Broadway productions in New York City. Out West, John Casablanca’s Modeling Agency utilized her writing and performance skills as part of their course, “Acting for Models,” in Phoenix and in Oklahoma City.
Her life experience has enabled her to live every region of America as well as Old Mexico. She has enhanced the international flavor of her work with studies in England, Scotland, Italy and France. Interviews with clients have resulted in profiles for clients in South America, Canada, England and Australia, as well as America. Her articles have been published yearly in Rangefinder magazine, America’s oldest professional photography magazine. A writers’ writer, she has been teaching both writing and speaking in University classes as well as private Business English workshops for over 20 years.
She has ghost-written articles for noted professional artist. Her submissions have included such magazines as Ladies Home Journal, Self, Redbook, Entrepreneur Magazine, More, Ms., Parade and Sports Illustrated.
Kimberly Mate
Consultant
Kimberly Mate has trained hundreds of professional men and women in the art of speech. A major part of her speech coaching is devoted to private one-on-one sessions, working with individuals to help them feel more confident, focused, and be able to deliver exceptional presentations with confidence. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Education and also a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of Central Florida.
While pursuing her degree she completed an internship at UCF in the Communication Disorders Clinic where she found her inspiration to become a speech coach and trainer. She specializes in presentation skills, developing an on-camera presence, etiquette, and projecting a professional image. She also works with children while preparing for school and extracurricular presentations. Kimberly is known for helping her clients connect with their audience in a unique personal way.
