I’M BACK WHERE I BELONG

I’m back!

For those who don’t know me, I was privileged to help Akers launch the very first issue of Healthy Living and see our “baby” named best new magazine by the Florida Magazine Association.

Better yet, I experienced the thrill of seeing you — our readers and advertisers — embrace and support our unique publication, which is designed to help you live a balanced life.

What a fun ride it was!

The ride ended too soon when my husband and I decided to grow our family. Of course, it was the right decision and we now have six beautiful children through foster parenting and adoption.

They’re doing great … and now it’s time to get back to giving to the community I dearly love.

I’m a giver. It’s why I chose nursing as a career more than 25 years ago.

Being a nurse showed me the importance of preventive health and the value of balancing your life physically, mentally, spiritually and financially.

Like you, I’ve experienced illness and unhappiness — in my life and the lives of loved ones — when any one of those elements was failing.

Being financially secure yet physically ill does not produce a healthy being.

Being in the best physical shape of your life but lost spiritually isn’t healthy. Having secure finances and great health but battling with severe depression isn’t living life to the fullest.

It’s only when we have a reasonable balance of all four pillars we can truly be healthy and happy.

Healthy Living will give you tools you need to have four solid pillars. We’re here to motivate, educate and give you tips to help you achieve a better life.

But our relationship can’t be one-sided. We want to know what works for you. We want your story ideas. And we want to know what you want to read about each month.

We’re determined to be a vital source of information for our community. In short, we want to help you be happy.

It was a hard decision to return to work while raising three little ones under the age of 4, but I’ve realized I can give fully to my family and our readership without neglecting either.

I’m so passionate about staying connected with my community and being a part of a company that has such a love for where its people live and what they are doing.

I had to be a part of it again.

So glad to be back here with you all!

KENDRA AKERS publisher/editor-in-chief kendra@akersmediagroup.com

DOUG AKERS vice president doug@akersmediagroup.com

JAMIE EZRA MARK chief creative officer jamie@akersmediagroup.com

SABRINA CICERI associate publisher sabrina@akersmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL // DESIGN // PHOTOGRAPHY

GARY CORSAIR executive editor gary@akersmediagroup.com

SHEMIR WILES senior staff writer shemir@akersmediagroup.com

BOB TENNANT copy chief bob@akersmediagroup.com

JAMES COMBS staff writer james@akersmediagroup.com

FRED LOPEZ chief photographer fred@akersmediagroup.com

STEVEN J. CODRARO creative director steve@akersmediagroup.com

JOSH CLARK senior designer/advertising josh@akersmediagroup.com

ANTHONY CASTO senior designer/editorial anthony@akersmediagroup.com

MICHAEL GAULIN production director michael@akersmediagroup.com

RHEYA TANNER designer rheya@akersmediagroup.com

MATTHEW GAULIN photography assistant matt@akersmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS//PHOTOGRAPHERS

RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT, MD, FACS

RICHARD BURGUET RUTH ANN BYRD TRACY DRAPER MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH

SHAYNE CASTO

FRED HILTON PAT JOCELYN SCOT PERKINS

THOMAS RUGGIE RON VANDEVANDER SALES // MARKETING

TIM MCRAE vice president of sales and marketing tim@akersmediagroup.com

MIKE STEGALL senior account representative mike@akersmediagroup.com

ANDREW AKERS account representative andrew@akersmediagroup.com

MELANIE MELVIN director of client services melanie@akerscreative.com

HEIDI RESSLER account representative heidi@akersmediagroup.com

AUBREY AKERS production coordinator aubrey@akersmediagroup.com

DEB MATLOCK account coordinator deb@akerscreative.com

Administration

TINA MORRISON office manager tina@akersmediagroup.com

SHAENA CHASTAIN receptionist shaena@akersmediagroup.com

DISTRIBUTION

SCOTT HEGG distribution manager scott.hegg@akersmediagroup.com

Sabrina Ciceri