August/September Preview 2014 by South Magazine

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Features 70

100

If she can continue her winning ways, #2 seeded Maggie Bridges will be the first Miss Georgia crowned queen since 1952.

78 A financial prophet

Dave Ramsey’s wisdom on achieving financial success.

54 South’s Greatest Pets

South’s readers vote for the Greatest Pets in Savannah.

60 South’s Greatest Bosses

Savannah’s greatest leaders in the community.

64 On the tennis court

Tennis star Murphy Jenson gives life’s lessons.

70 ultimate Lowcountry RETREAT

One of Palmetto Bluff’s featured homes located on the May River.

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Contents Departments

chit chats 28 club south

dine south 166 Sumptuous Savannah

50th Issue Party & JCB Mud Run 34 Slang WJCL’s Brandyn Reagan 36 high cotton Gulfstream’s CEO Larry Flynn

A.Lure’s Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie 168 southern Sippin' Sippin’ in Style with Dawn Hiers

170 Small bites Erica Davis’ Lowcountry Legacy

38 in the studio American Folk Artist Chase Allen

172 Luxury dining Fine Dining in Savannah

40 southern made 45th Anniversary Ceremona Benedetto Guitar

play south 180 Monte Carlo Night

42 true south Bet on Miss Georgia, Maggie Bridges

The William Jay Society’s Night of Gaming, Glitz, and Glamor

44 Culture City Hotel Band

46 southern adventure Sport Fishing or Skeets & Clays, Take Your Pick

181 Best Fests 182 events calendAr

48 On the porch Pros and Cons on HB 60

194 scenes of the south Martinis at the Mansion, Savannah Mile, and Ampersand Ribbon Cutting

50 Pets of the south Exotic Luxury Bengal Cats & Crime-Busting Canines

198 mouth of the south Native Savannahian Tawney Ellis Brings Her Music Back Home

Style south 92 beauty, Fashion & luxury Harley Strickland & Fashion Night

Law 106 South’s finest lawyers

104

offers their legal advice.

Money 82 financial experts offer you

94 high Riders Equestrian Luxury in Richmond Hill’s Ford Plantation

Go south 104 hit the road

Our Best Places to Eat, Play, Stay, and Shop in Atlanta and the Coastal South

tips on the future of your finances.

luxury 142 go ahead, indulge! 172

it’s good for you.

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Publisher’s Letter/ a sign of success

A smile and say cheese moment: happiness is having the family attend the 50th issue celebration Growing up, I remember my dad working a lot. He was the boss, and there wasn’t one second that he let his team, or our family, forget it

His upbringing was far from wealthy. That not-so-opulent background led him first to the Army and then to a powerful position delivering appliances for his father-in-law, soon to be my grandfather. But Dad worked hard and smart. He moved on to a job selling furniture. Before too long, he was the manager of the store. He wasn’t about to let his family face the same hardships that he had faced, so he did the one sure-fire thing he knew to prevent it. He continued to work hard and developed a keen eye for opportunity. He didn’t look for shortcuts, and if something didn’t seem ethical, he wouldn’t consider it. But he wasn’t afraid to take a risk. Eventually he launched his own furniture store, which thrived. Soon he had a reputation. Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. People joked about that. That might be the ultimate mark of success. It didn’t hurt that my mom was also cut from the same cloth. Dad got a little lucky there. They have run the family businesses together from the time they were young newlyweds in the early ‘60s. They taught their sons the same worth ethic, although, at the time, I didn’t understand how there could be so much to do when you were the boss. Nevertheless, as far back as I can remember, we were always cutting grass, cleaning buildings, or working on something. Work was and still is a big

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part of our lives. Our vacations weren’t elaborate. Water skiing at the river and just being together as a family was more than enough. Truth be told, it took me a long time to fully appreciate and understand my parents’ work ethic, but I’m inspired by it every time we create a new issue. So, as you enjoySouth’s fourth annual power, luxury, and law issue, know that it’s made of the same stuff that my folks’ success is made of. And that makes the long nights at work more than worth the effort. Oh, and that first furniture store? It’s still thriving today under the leadership of my brother, the one that got all the brains in the family. And my mom and dad are still working together, well into their 70s. Of course, I visit home as much as I can, and every time I’m reminded of how fortunate I was to be born into this family. They’re some of the finest people I’ve ever known. Maybe that’s the ultimate mark of success. Many thanks and keep reading,

–Michael Brooks, Publisher/Creative Director

about the covers

➼ MISS GEORGIA 2014 The Next Miss America? Maggie Bridges is featured on our 51st cover and was photographed by AJ Day, a well-known international photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. If Maggie Bridges wins the Miss America title on September 13, 2014, she will be the first Miss Georgia to win the crown since 1952. See page 42.

➼ CIGARs & the Women Who Love Them The South staff was on the hunt this issue to find a female exec that smokes cigars. We have all but given up hope when Brandyn Reagan showed up to her photoshoot asking, “Where’s the cigar?” Fate took over where we left off which led to an impromptu cover shoot. Art directed by Michael Brooks and photographed by Tim Riethmiller and posted by Andrew Davis and photographed at Regus Business Offices in downtown Savannah, Georgia. See page 34.

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editor’s Letter

publisher/creative director Michael Brooks

I always dreamed of riding into the sunset in a red vintage 1960 Porsche Roadster with a Cuban cigar and the wind in my hair. Thanks to the amazing people I have met through my tenure at South magazine, this dream came true. The talented photographer, Josh Branstetter called upon John Phillips and his vintage car to make this happen for my final editor’s picture. Power, luxury, and the law converge in this issue to deliver stories and images designed to inspire us to greatness and to titillate our aspirations for the good life. Putting my last issue together as Editor for South was a pleasure beyond my expectations as I think I stumbled on what luxury really means; I think it is about indulging in our dreams. In my interview with the amazing Grand Slam tennis pro, Murphy Jensen, he hit me between the eyes with, “Don’t dream big; Dream Monumental!” That is a well-earned indulgence indeed that costs us little in the way of money and is attainable by all. Murphy’s lessons on leadership and team building as coach of the dominant World Team Tennis champions, the Washington Kastles, apply not only to sports, but also to the boardroom, and to life in general. The Southern luxury products we feature in this issue can stand up against any others in the world. Luxury goods not only connote status and success, but there is intrinsic benefit to owning such goods; their levels of quality and craftsmanship deliver intangible returns in the longevity and efficiency they can deliver. Benedetto Guitar’s 45th Anniversary edition model retails for about $80,000 and their opening price point and the world’s top jazz musicians such as Bucky Pizarelli seek after core models. If you are out and about, catch Benedetto’s CEO Howard Paul play with the region’s top jazz musicians. It is a monumental dream indeed to be able to play a Benedetto guitar as magically as Howard does. Larry Flynn, Gulfstream CEO, shared some of his formulas for being a successful leader. The company’s products, like most great luxury brands, shatter the concept of mere indulgence and go to increasing an executive’s productivity. Most hopefully of all for our beloved Hostess City, all signs indicate that Savannah is at an economic tipping point, and we check in with four of the city’s visionaries: Patrick Shay, Greg Parker, Richard Kessler, and Ben Carter. We inspire you with luxury fashion and the royal sport of foxhunting, and introduce you to the good life of a man who ditched his big real estate career to live his dream of being a great artist. Dream monumental!

interim editor Paula S. Fogarty art director Timothy Riethmiller Aaron Bernstein circulation and financial manager Ivy Bevill account executive Katie Pollock advertising art director Megan Hunt assistant art director Virginia England contributing editor Cameron Spencer web editor Mary Zimmer contributing writers Clark Byron, Elizabeth Danos, Janice Shay, Corrie Dyke, Robyn Passante, Shawndra Russell contributing photographers Jabberpics, John Alexander, Angela Hopper-Lee, Michael Hrizuk, Mallory Prevatt, Cedric Smith, Zoe Christou Welsh editorial interns Elizabeth Danos, Kaitlin White art interns Mallory Prevatt, Kalle Thomas

magazine is published bimonthly by bad ink, brooks advertising design, inc. reproduction by any means of the whole or part of bad ink without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. views expressed in the editorial pages do not imply our endorsement. we welcome your product news. include prices, photos and digital files with your press release. please forward product samples and media kits to reviews editor, south magazine, 116 bull street, savannah, georgia 31401. we cannot be responsible for unsolicited product samples. subscription rates: u.s.: $19 for one year; $28 for two years; single copies: $4.95. change of address notice: six to eight weeks prior to moving, please clip the mailing label from the most recent issue and send it along with your new address to: south magazine, change of address notice, 116 bull street, savannah, ga 31401, attn: circulation south

south magazine: A Division of Bad Ink 116 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401 phone: 912.236.5501 fax: 912.236.5524 southmagazine.com

–Paula S. Fogarty, Editor

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P h o t o g r a p h b y Ja b b e r p i c s

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Contributors

AJ Day

. AJ was encouraged to pursue his dream of making photography a career by his late father. Today, AJ is highly requested and known for his ability to bring out the best in his clients. AJ has shot recognizable faces, including television reality stars, national and international beauty queens, and fashion models. See Day's work on both the cover photograph of Miss Georgia, Maggie Bridges, and interior photo of Bridges on page 42.

eva fedderly

Stephen Delaney Hale

Angela Hopper-lee

Shawndra Russell

From New York City to Savannah, Eva is passionate about traveling. Eva owns a public relations firm, Spun, that specializes in arts, food, and culture. She is also passionate about politics and investigative journalism and is a new contributor at The Christian Science Monitor. Eva graduated from University of California, Berkeley where she studied the history and evolution of American Popular Culture. Read Eva's article in South’s Go section starting on page 166.

Angela Hopper-Lee has ten years of experience as a photographer in Savannah. A SCAD graduate, she loves all realms of photography yet finds great joy in photographing animals and their people. Angela shares her home and studio with her husband, Wayne, and daughter, Annabelle Blu, along with their two Siamese cats, Click and Snatch; two Aussies, Bruiser and Copper; and two African Spur Thigh tortoises. See Angela’s photography in “South’s Greatest Pets” on page 54.

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Stephen Delaney Hale is a freelance writer living in Aiken, SC. He wrote Aiken and Its Horses: A Celebration of Equestrian Sport and was among the authors of African Americans in Aiken County. He most often writes magazine articles centered on his hometown, usually concerning the different horse disciplines, history, nuclear issues, and golf, especially The Masters, which he has attended for the past 52 consecutive years (54 altogether.) Read Stephen’s article, “Tally Ho Ya’ll,” on page 80.

Shawndra Russell is a writer and social media educator for businesses, professionals, and graduate students with the intent of stopping outdated marketing. Her latest works are 51 Ways to Help Your Social Media Manager Crush It! And How to Become a Freelance Writer in 30 Days. Read about her services and projects atshawndrarussell. com. Read Shawndra’s article in “Top Luxury Dining Spots” on page 172.

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Cassandra Thomas (@ cassithomas1) “@south_ mag what a marvelous #50thanniversary party! Congrats!” Red Clover Boutique (@ shopredclover) “Having a great time at the @south_mag 50th Issue Party with @ SavannahBeeCo”

Online Contests Every issue, we like to feature some of the greatest members of the South. From “Greatest Kids” to “Greatest Photographers,” we aim to recognize those who excel at what they do. By holding online contests, we encourage our readers to make nominations and vote. Winners are featured in an editorial spread and are photographed by professional photographers. This month, check out our Greatest Pets (page 54) and Greatest Bosses (page 60). To vote in our current contests visit southsgreatest.com.

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I was at the 50th Issue Launch Party, and I had an absolute blast. The food was delicious, the band was fantastic, and the fashion show was phenomenal. I even met a certain young man at the party, and we’re still dating! Thanks, South! – Jennifer Sparks, Savannah, GA

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