Issue 54, 2026
QUEENS & MACHINES
THE RAFFERTY CENTER RIBBON CUTTING
RIBBONS OF HOPE
Voodoo on the Bayou
scan here for photos
For voting Dillard’s Cordova Mall Favorite Women’s Apparel
Thank You For voting Dillard’s Cordova Mall Favorite Children’s Apparel
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contents Cover 10
Voodoo On The Bayou
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The Rafferty Center Ribbon Cutting
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Ribbons Of Hope
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Queens & Machines
Featuring: Lt. Brooke Geiger, Capt. Lacey Vestal, and Master Chief Petty Officer Sara Drake at NORU, photography by: Kristina Wright
Editorial 14
Faces of Service — NORU
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Familiar Faces — Kathy Buskett
Photos Available at www.FacesPcola.com
In Partnership with Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc.
Issue 35, 2025
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP MIXER
Issue 37, 2025
MEN WHO COOK
PMG GRAND PARADE
FRED LEVIN WAY FESTIVAL
DESIGNER PURSE BINGO
WSRE WINE AND FOOD CLASSIC
PMG Fat Tuesday Celebration
A Cabaret of curios
ities scan here for photos
FacesPcola.com
scan here for photos
Publisher’s Letter At FACES PENSACOLA, we continue our monthly publication “covering the places and faces of Pensacola” and surrounding areas. Our team has been busy covering events including runs, festivals, galas, openings, and more. Watch out for Kristina Wright, our Lead Event Photographer, and Jacki Day, our Marketing and Social Media Consultant, along with other event photographers to be included in the next issue. Please stay connected with us on social on Facebook @FACESpcola and Instagram FACESpensacola. We love Pensacola and all the awesome events, places, and faces it has to offer. Reach out to let us know about your upcoming event. We would love to include you in our calendar and cover your events. Thank you, Pensacola, for welcoming us and including us in your events. Don’t forget to check out our advertisers and give them some love. We can’t wait to see your faces!
Steve Barber photo by: Kristina Wright
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Publisher/Editor steve@facespcola.com
Team Faces
Steve Barber
Jessica Graña
Publisher/Editor
Creative Director
Jacki Day
Darra Flanagan
Marketing and Social Media Consultant
Advertising Executive
Kristina Wright
Lead Photographer
Contributors Hudson Aho, Distribution
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Voodoo on the Bayou photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: Pensacola Museum of Commerce
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1 Derek Johnson, Misty Hoitash • 2 Monica Bonilla, Brian Timm • 3 Beth & Brad Bjorklund • 4 Selisa & Eric Daniel 5 Mike & Michelle Rewenko • 6 Robert Simmons • 7 Christi Brown, Jeff Ward • 8 Elizabeth Anderson, Chelsie Delacerda, Amanda Seich, Kristin Stewart
FacesPcola.com
Voodoo on the Bayou photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: Pensacola Museum of Commerce
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9 Kali Nolen, Amber Nussbaumer, Tracy Hornbrook, Audrey Preston, Robert Tjossem • 10 Barry & Kelli Bergman 11 Krewe of Andre de Pez • 12 Raven & Johnny Taylor • 13 Dawn & Chad Paulus • 14 John & Monica Love
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Voodoo on the Bayou photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: Pensacola Museum of Commerce
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15 Brian Timm, Monica Bonilla, Kelli & Barry Bergman • 16 Jo & Marty Stanovich • 17 Kindrina Stough, Stacey Ladner 18 Krewe of Pensacola Belles • 19 Adam Smith, Emily Wright, Melanie Bonds • 20 Craig & Rachael Essert, Debra & Dudley Bass
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Voodoo on the Bayou photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: Pensacola Museum of Commerce
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21 Christa Maxwell, Lane Vance, Carl & Lynne Sapolin 22 Krewe of Daisy Dukes • 23 Krewe de Karnival
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Faces of Service
Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit Capt. Lacey Vestal, Lt. Brooke Geiger, and Master Chief Petty Officer Sara Drake submitted by: NORU photos by:Kristina Wright
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avy Recruiting Orientation Unit (NORU) is the Navy’s sole recruiting schoolhouse responsible for the instruction of enlisted and officer personnel in professional sales, prospecting techniques, recruiting fundamentals, and leadership. Over 2,000 students come from sea duty and shore establishments annually to learn the basic skills that will help them succeed in today’s challenging recruiting environment. Originally established in Orlando, Florida, NORU moved to Naval Air Station Pensacola in June 1990. The NORU environment is unlike any most Sailors have encountered. Students attending basic recruiting courses receive a good dose of public speaking to develop communications skills that will help them not just in recruiting but throughout their naval careers. The key factor to NORU’s success rate is its instructors, who are hand-picked from the top tier of the career recruiting force. Students consistently cite these instructors as the best they’ve had in their career! Historically, this instructor cadre has been led by three officers and two senior enlisted leaders. For the past few months, three women - Capt. Lacey Vestal, Lt. Brooke Geiger, and Master Chief Petty Officer Sara Drake - have been managing schoolhouse operations and forming the foundation for the unprecedented success Navy Recruiting has seen over the last year, surpassing its 2026 target of recruiting 45,000 future Sailors three months ahead of schedule. Vestal commissioned in 2004 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. At sea, she navigated a guided missile destroyer through two western Pacific deployments. Ashore, she served multiple tours in the Pentagon, most notably as the aide de camp to the Secretary of the Navy. Her human resources career track led her to command Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Nashville, leading 200 Sailors in recruiting efforts across six states. Vestal assumed her leadership position at NORU last July. “NTAG Nashville was my first experience with Navy Recruiting, and I have never looked back!” Vestal said. “I love being able to change the course of a young person’s life for good. The Navy has given me so much; it is an honor and a privilege to be able to pay that forward.” Geiger commissioned in the Navy in 2016 and was designated a naval aviator in 2021. As a helicopter pilot, she deployed to Sixth Fleet with Maritime Strike Squadron 50. After transferring to the human resources community, she currently serves as the assistant officer in charge and operations officer a NORU. Drake enlisted in the Navy in 1997. She completed two
sea duty tours as a machinist’s mate before converting to Navy counselor in the recruiting force. Sara has excelled as a recruiter in San Diego, Chicago, New York, Miami, and New England, and promoted to the highest enlisted rank of master chief petty officer. She is currently serving two roles at NORU: chief recruiter, responsible for daily schoolhouse operations and curriculum development, and senior enlisted leader, a trusted advisor to the officer in charge and responsible for the well-being of both staff and students. “We are a team of three doing the work of five, and I could not be more proud to have these strong, talented, incredibly hard-working women by my side,” said Vestal. While these three come from different backgrounds – human resources, aviation, and recruiting – they bring a shared sense of professional expertise, hands-on leadership, and a genuine concern for the staff and students in their charge. “We are able to accomplish what we do because we care,” said Vestal. Over the past year, these leaders have accomplished a lot. From a comprehensive wi-fi upgrade and air-conditioning overhaul to command physical training and curriculum revisions, the team has fundamentally upgraded the staff and student experience. Thanks to their leadership, recruiters leave NORU highly trained, motivated, and better prepared to recruit the next generation of Navy top talent.
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The Rafferty Center Ribbon Cutting photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: The Rafferty Center • Charity: Southern Youth Sports Association
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1 Chandra Smiley, Luerine Spencer • 2 Tre Bonner, Commissioner Lumon May, Doug Baldwin, Raymond Palmer • 3 Ashley Armstrong, Madeline Pendley • 4 Brian Wyer, Captain Eric Goss • 5 Taxie Lambert, Madrina Ciano • 6 Dan Shugart, Maryan Aiken 7 Clorissti Shoemo, Sandra Donaldson • 8 Sue Strong, Troy Rafferty
FacesPcola.com
The Rafferty Center Ribbon Cutting photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: The Rafferty Center
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9 Marcell Davis, Ryan Wiggins, Jeff Nall • 10 Willa Lacata, Aaron Ball, Angela Gundy, David Thorne
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a chorus Featuring ans and eter of local v embers service m
The Falling and the Rising chronicles the imagined journey of a soldier suspended inside a coma, following an injury from a roadside IED. We follow as she makes her way through a miraculous coma-induced dreamscape—one punctuated with the lives of other fellow service members, each on their own individual journey toward healing and home. Together, they must move toward clarity, comfort, consciousness, and communal hope during a time of adversity.
PensacolaOpera.com | 850.433.6737 | VetTix tickets available!
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Ribbons of Hope photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: Pensacola Yacht Club • Charity: Pensacola Breast Cancer Association
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1 Louvi & Chris Curry, Jacob Bersabal • 2 Donna Byrd, Andrea Wraalstad, Erin Wilmer, Damaris Gonzalez • 3 Susan Schoen, Stephen Lisi • 4 Lynda Cavener, Carolyn Grawi • 5 Nerissa Bates, Valerie Boyd, Maurice Brown • 6 Jeff & Marcie Ryan 7 Natasha Howard, Chandra Smiley, Christa Brandt • 8 Willa Lacata, Eddie Hill
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Ribbons of Hope photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: Pensacola Yacht Club • Charity: Pensacola Breast Cancer Association
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9 Charles & Rafaela O’ Reilly • 10 Beverly Cole, Kathy Hulion, Dr. Sandra Winborne, Nicole Lorentson • 11 Eric & Asia Kitt, Amy King 12 Donna Bryant, Brianna Rieder, Vicki Walborn, Susan Schoen • 13 Dale & Katie Kirchharr • 14 Athena Durant, Karen Dade, Whitney White, Lena Dunn
FacesPcola.com
Ribbons of Hope photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: Pensacola Yacht Club
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15 Andrea Massey (Survivor family) • 16 Stan Waldroup, Suzanne Spence, Bryan Gaston
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Familiar Faces Q+A photos by: Shanna Star
Kathy Buskett Owner, Caricatures by Kathy www.caricaturesbykathy.com
What’s the best part of your job? I love making people happy. The reveal, when they see their drawing for the first time and react with laughter, is the very best part of my job. It’s what makes the whole thing worthwhile.
Is there an achievement or contribution that you’re most proud of? I’m really proud of starting over here on the Gulf Coast after being successful in Las Vegas. When I moved here ten years ago, I had to start over from scratch. And I did it. I’m also really proud that while I was living and working in Las Vegas, I got to be part of Samsung’s product reveal for the Galaxy Note at one of the largest digital caricature events in the world. That was pretty amazing.
Is there a “Best Kept Secret” in Pensacola you’d like to share? There are some really great walking trails that I don’t think everyone knows about. My favorites are Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park and the Bayou Marcus Birding Trail. And if you have kids, you MUST visit the MESS Hall! It’s a small, hands-on science museum, but it’s so much fun. Fun for adults too!
What should someone look for when hiring a caricature artist? I think speed is just as important as style when you’re hiring a live caricature artist. Think about it. The faster you draw, the more people you can serve. And the number one complaint I hear from people about other artists is that they’re slow.
How has working with your clients changed you? I’ve become a lot more outgoing and better at being social. When I first started, I was pretty scared and shy. Now I have no problem walking into a room, no matter who may be there. I’ve worked with movie stars, high-level officials and even a few sports stars, and you know what? Everyone’s the same. They’re all human. They want to be treated with respect, but they also want to have fun. I try to give them that.
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I’m one of the fastest live caricature artists in the world. I’ve actually won awards for my speed and came in fourth in an ISCA speed competition a number of years ago. I can draw up to 30 people an hour, so at a big event, that can make a huge difference in how many guests get a drawing. Style is important too. My caricatures are intentionally flattering because a lot of people are nervous that a caricature artist is going to make them look bad. There’s actually a trend on social media right now toward really exaggerated, ugly or even mean caricatures. That’s not what I do. I don’t make people look bad on purpose, unless you ask for it!
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Queens & Machines photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: The Round-up • Charity: The Birthday Party Pensacola
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1 Aniyah Jade Oshans • 2 Alexis Milian, Chesley Polk • 3 Josh Keith, Dr. Mitchell Whitehead • 4 Angel Collins • 5 Jackson Domholdt, David Magee • 6 Jason Richards, Noah Kelley • 7 Miss Venus Shante Va’viss • 8 Alexa Avery, Miss Venus Shante Va’viss, Alexis Milian, Angel Collins, Chesley Wilcox Polk, Aniyah Jade Oshans, Catastrophe Nicole Knight
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Queens & Machines photographer: Kristina Wright
Location: The Round-up • Charity: The Birthday Party Pensacola
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We’re honored to be named Favorite Water Park. Thank you for your support, your votes, and for making Tropic Falls your favorite place to splash, slide, and make unforgettable memories. Come celebrate with us at Tropic Falls. VisitOWA.com
9 Angel Collins, Robin Day, Chesley Wilcox-Polk, Miss Venus Shante Va’viss
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