Reanna Haase

After 30 years in hospitality, John Lai’s career came full circle when he was appointed SanCap Chamber President and CEO just a year after coming aboard as member service manager. More than just dedication to his position, Lai’s connection to Sanibel runs deeper than his commitment to community involvement and resilience.

He grew up in Fort Myers, with both parents working on Sanibel while he was in high school. Nearly all his core memories, he said, can be traced back to the island. From proposing to and marrying his wife to their first family vacation, Sanibel has always been an integral part of his life.

“There’s nothing like spending time working for a place that you have a personal connection to,” Lai said. “This entire job that I have is the career highlight for me. I feel very fortunate and blessed.”

Throughout all the challenges the islands have faced over the past few years, one thing has remained constant. Loyal residents and visitors gather for Captiva’s Chapel by the Sea Sunday services, surrounded by waves crashing on the shore and ospreys flying overhead.

“You talk about Mother Nature– she has just protected us,” Board President Kathy Knoblauch said. “All the hurricanes that have hit, the chapel always stands – it’s an amazing place.”

Towering Medjool palms, heavily manicured hedges adorned with blooms, groundcover Asian jasmine and shaped trees centered around a symmetrical grass-lined driveway are all part of the curb appeal of one of the Signature Landscape Contractors’ full-service outdoor makeovers that stands proudly in Winter Park.

“[That’s a] sophisticated, well-designed, large, complete outdoor space that Signature designed and installed,” says Andy Swanson with the landscaping company.

The grand, columned residence is complemented by an overlay of greenery on all sides—Oakleaf hollies, magnolia trees and junipers frame the home, accompanied by the standout azaleas and Knock Out roses at the estate.

Whether you are seeking a professional, full-scale outdoor transformation or creating a D.I.Y. lush butterfly garden at home, industry professionals agree that attention to detail, proper planning and the selection of the right plants are key to cultivating your perfect garden space.

Daughters are a culmination of all the women before them. All of the good, and the bad, smushed together to form a new woman capable of amazing things, learning from the lessons of their mother and the mothers before them.

I have so much of my mom in me. Growing up, people who knew us said I was her mini-me, her shadow. As I have grown, I see it increasingly, but in the weirdest ways.



















In the way I sign my emails– I remember her always putting “with a smile,” at t...

A normal summer surfing session at New Smyrna Beach turned into something right out of a nightmare just as Chris Pospisil was getting ready to leave.

While looking for a wave to ride back to shore, Pospisil locked eyes with a shark lunging out of the water, hungry for his foot. The shark latched onto Pospisil’s foot and pulled him off of his board and into the water, just before he was able to kick it in the nose, freeing his foot.

“When it happened, I was just like I knew right away. I was li

As Editorial Director Assistant I had two articles featured in the Devine Feline Section of Strike Magazine Orlando Issue 07. "Friend or Foe" is a short essay style piece which delves into the superstitions surrounding cats in various cultures.