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the face of
401K Management Joel Goodman, Spencer Wheeler, Scott McGhie and julia butler Ï We know what it takes to make 401k plans work better for participants and sponsors. Highly rated, competitively priced mutual funds. Actively managed, diversified asset allocation portfolios. Hands-on investment education for participants. Fiduciary investment management, which places the participants’ best interests first and protects plan sponsors from liability. COO Julia Butler and the investment team of The Fiduciary Group have created a new and better way to manage 401k plans that focuses on cost, quality, and effective participant outcomes. Ï 310 Commercial Drive Savannah, GA | 912.303.9000 | tfginvest.com
the face of
investment Management Scott McGhie, Spencer Wheeler, Joel Goodman and malcolm butler � Whether saving for retirement or in retirement making your savings endure, you want to work with a team making smart, independent decisions about your investments—someone you can trust to place your best interests first. Accessible, accountable, fiduciary advisors. CEO Malcolm Butler and the investment team have the expertise and experience to help you conserve, manage and grow your financial resources so that your assets will last your lifetime, support your lifestyle and leave your legacy. � 310 Commercial Drive Savannah, GA 912.303.9000 | tfginvest.com
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introduction
w r i t t e n b y La u r e n H u n s b e r g e r
sp ec i a l f ive y e ar an n i versary edi ti o n
After five years in business, we felt it was the prime time for a review. But for our special Anniversary Issue we didn't want to simply revisit things we have already covered. so it's our pleasure to present a look back at all the people, events and ideas that have shaped the city over the past five years
A
lot can happen in five years. And it did. A global revolution took flight, resulting in personal computers the size of playing cards. Texting became the primary form of communication between friends whether they’re across the world or across the table. And socializing or conducting business became something that’s, more often than not, done while sitting alone in a room. Globalization officially arrived. Also in the past five years, our country elected the first black president, taking a monumental step in civil rights, and our economy took a monumental step toward collapse (although it looks like it might be on the way up again). Here in Savannah, the city did what it does best, pressing on as the cultural and artistic hub of the South, drawing the likes of Hollywood hotshots Robert Redford and Miley Cyrus. Marc Jacobs also visited to throw a party in the historic district. President Obama ate our BBQ. And Sandra Bullock came to our beaches to get away. But talent didn’t just come to the city; it also came from here. Over a dozen Savannahians made debuts on reality TV shows. Both Paula (the
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South's mascot, Mongo. Sulum Canis Has Suus Dies [Every Dog Has His Day].
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queen of butter) and Paula (the queen of arts) continued to build their empires, allowing Savannah to grow with them. Our artists had paintings gifted to Oprah ("The State of the Artists" p. 94), our performers made it to the biggest stage in the world ("Mistress of the Arts" p. 106), and our good ol' Southern-bred musicians started touring with industry giants such as Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney ("Billy Currington" p. 114). But having just as much, if not more, impact on the community over the past five years, handfuls of locals quietly continued to fuel the city by discreetly donating large amounts of their time ("The South’s Movers and Shakers" p. 64) or organizing city-wide campaigns geared toward helping improve the quality of life for all those who claim Savannah as their hometown. And then there were the people who didn’t necessarily set out to shape the face of Savannah, but inevitably did. Thousands of news stories surfaced, some positive, some negative, but all vital to helping us understand our fellow Southerners ("Stories that shaped the News" p. 84). Many, many eyes all over the world were fixed on Savannah. So how did Savannah and its residents sustain and continue to flourish during half a decade of tumult and change (a word which in and of itself came to have a whole new meaning during that time frame)? Well, we at South magazine have a little theory, and the proof is in the history. It starts with Savannah’s debut as the state’s very first city, a place James Oglethorpe originally intended to be a garden-covered (hence the squares) utopia available to all those who lived in it no matter their race, religion or riches, a karmic asset that seems to have left a little fairy dust on the cobblestone streets and enchanted landscape. Following suit, about 150 years ago General Sherman infamously gifted Savannah to President Lincoln, a gesture that saved the city from an infernal ending. And, after knocking on some hypothetical wood, it’s important to mention that since then the area has also nearly escaped hurricanes, weathered depressions and recessions, and escaped the potential wreckings of important historical buildings and landmarks. In short, Savannah is a spared city. Luck is surely on her side. Even now, during the worst global economic climate in decades, Savannah is actually gaining steam. Between the Mitsubishi facility and Gulfstream expansion, thousands of jobs have sprouted up over the past few years ("Business ventures" p. 58). The presence of Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield continue to provide reliable paychecks to tens of thousands of households, and the port, our channel to the rest of the world, remains one of the most active and important on the East Coast. It's not hard to see why there’s new interest in Savannah on a daily basis. Business and outside community leaders constantly want to visit due to the beauty and intrigue; they want to relocate here because of the weather and food; and they want to bring their families
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Meet and Greet: One of the benefits of working for South is getting to meet some truly incredible people. L to R: Jamie Deen on set with South's Managing Editor and Art Director; the South staff mingles with the stars from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; The Brooks family meets MMA fighter Danny Griffin.
Digging Deep: Over the years, South has made it a point to cover topics that others might shy away from, talk to people who normally don't have a voice, and get the true story from behind the scenes. The "Hello, My Name Is..." story from the December/January Issue is just one example.
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One Bad Brother: Publisher Michael Brooks and Senior Sales Executive Kristine Compton visited with music legend Gregg Allman.
with them because of the people that make up the community. Yes, it seems, we’re perfectly situated and suited for success—and real success, the substantial, long-term kind, not the trendy, instantgratification, here-today-gone-tomorrow brand. In the past five years, our magazine was also born. And in five short years, we’ve seen and experienced the magical qualities that belong to this city. We’ve met the cast of characters (including the pirates, the foodies, the eccentrics, the artists and all those in between), we've explored the businesses and government entities (even when they didn’t want us to), and we've dug deep to bring you the most entertaining and important stories to hit the city. We’ve documented and
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explored what we could, and we’ve also taken notes along the way. So if you think you've slipped by us these past years, you can be sure we’ve got our eye on you and we’re coming for you. With this, we present to you our Anniversary Issue. It's dedicated to you and to all those who make this city what it is. Faces of the South is a look back at the people, events and stories that shaped the city, as well as a preview of what you can expect in the next five. After relentless research and hours of interviews with those who have their finger on the pulse of the city, these are the things we think you should take note of that have happened and are happening right before your eyes.
Roll Call: This city is full of characters and ma ny of them have made the pa ges of South. Lady Chablis, Paula Deen and Stratton Leopold are just a few of the magazine's bold and brilliant friend s.
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contents
[ feb | mar 2011 ]
special f i v e y e ar an n i ve rsary e d i ti o n
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106 m i s t r e s s o f t h e a r t s Part Southern belle, part Lady Gaga, the Savannah-born Haviland Stillwell proves she's a Jane of all trades.
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These bright Southerners put Savannah on the map with their bright ideas.
Now that the dust has cleared, the Simpson family gets settled.
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Area churches are experiencing growth, proving the South isn't losing its faith.
One local man helped solve the problem when 33 miners found themselves trapped.
s o u t h e r n i n n ovat o r s
g r ow i n g fa i t h
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business ventures
On many fronts, local businesses are looking up. 24
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b i l ly c u r r i n g t o n Anxiously awaiting a return home, Billy says life on the road isn't too bad either (It might have something to do with the millions of screaming fans).
p o s t m a k e ov e r
a higher call
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i m pressions of preston
Artist extraordinaire, Preston Russell talks shop with South.
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