Connect Savannah | February, 2023

SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Tickets and more info: savannahmusicfestival.org or call the box office at 912.525.5050

TUESDAY MARCH 21

8 PM PRE-SEASON CONCERT PINK MARTINI FEAT. CHINA FORBES

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$37, 50, 60, 70, 85 (Gold Circle)

THURSDAY MARCH 23

12:30 PM NOON30: CHRISTIAN SANDS, PIANO

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $31

5 & 8 PM CHRISTIAN SANDS HIGH WIRE TRIO

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $46

7 PM AARON LEE TASJAN / S.G. GOODMAN North Garden Assembly Room at Ships of the Sea Museum General Admission $39

7:30 PM ZURICH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

FEAT. DANIEL HOPE & PHILIP DUKES

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$55, 65

FRIDAY MARCH 24

5 & 8:30 PM

SONA JOBARTEH / NATU CAMARA

North Garden Assembly Room at Ships of the Sea Museum

General Admission $39

6 PM ALEXANDER MALOFEEV, PIANO

Trinity United Methodist Church General Admission $52

8 PM THE INFAMOUS TRINGDUSTERS / SIERRA HULL

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$37, 47, 57, 67, 77 (Gold Circle)

SATURDAY MARCH 25

5 PM BUDDY GUY “DAMN RIGHT FAREWELL” WITH SPECIAL GUESTS ERIC GALES AND KING SOLOMON HICKS Trustees’ Garden General Admission $89+ / VIP $209+

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29

12:30 PM NOON30: CHARLES MCPHERSON QUINTET FEAT. SEAN JONES

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $31

6 PM PHILIP DUKES & FRIENDS II PURCELL, MOZART, BEETHOVEN

Trinity United Methodist Church General Admission $52

7 PM TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND Trustees’ Garden General Admission $69+ / VIP $189+

8 PM KODO: TSUZUMI Lucas Theatre for the Arts $37, 50, 60, 70

SUNDAY MARCH 26

4 PM BUDDY GUY “DAMN RIGHT FAREWELL” WITH SPECIAL GUESTS CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM AND JONTAVIOUS WILLIS Trustees’ Garden General Admission $89+ / VIP $209+

6 PM PHILIP DUKES & FRIENDS I SCHUBERTIADE

Trinity United Methodist Church General Admission $52

TUESDAY MARCH 28

12:30 PM ANNA TILBROOK & FRIENDS

Trinity United Methodist Church General Admission $42

4:30 & 8 PM CHARLES MCPHERSON QUINTET FEAT. SEAN JONES / JOE ALTERMAN TRIO FEAT. HOUSTON PERSON Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $46

THURSDAY MARCH 30

12:30 PM NOON30: BRUCE MOLSKY & MAEVE GILCHRIST Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $31

6 & 8:30 PM

EDDIE PALMIERI LATIN JAZZ BAND North Garden Assembly Room at Ships of the Sea Museum General Admission $39

7 PM BRUCE MOLSKY, TONY TRISCHKA & MICHAEL DAVES / THE ONLIES

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $42

8 PM ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES

Lucas Theatre for the Arts $37, 50, 60, 70, 85 (Gold Circle)

6 PM MAEVE GILCHRIST: THE HARPWEAVER Savannah Cultural Arts Center General Admission $39

FRIDAY MARCH 31

12:30 PM NOON30: BRUCE MOLSKY

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden

General Admission $31

12:30 PM JACK LIEBECK, VIOLIN & SEBASTIAN KNAUER, PIANO

Trinity United Methodist Church

General Admission $42

SUNDAY APRIL 2

4 PM GALACTIC / CORY WONG / NATE SMITH + KINFOLK Trustees’ Garden

General Admission $79+ / VIP $199+

4:30 & 7:30 PM

6 & 8:30 PM

VIVIAN LEVA & RILEY CALCAGNO/ THE FOREIGN

LANDERS

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $39

CAJUN DANCE PARTY: THE LOST BAYOU RAMBLERS North Garden Assembly Room at Ships of the Sea Museum

General Admission $39

8 PM TERENCE BLANCHARD FEAT. THE E-COLLECTIVE & TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$37, 50, 60, 70, 85 (Gold Circle)

SATURDAY APRIL 1

12:30 PM NOON30: PASQUALE GRASSO TRIO

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $31

4:30 & 8 PM ALEXA TARANTINO QUARTET / PASQUALE GRASSO TRIO

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $46

TUESDAY APRIL 4

5 PM PHILIP DUKES & FRIENDS IV THE FINALE

Trinity United Methodist Church General Admission $52

7:30 PM GER MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA Trustees Theater General Admission $43

WEDNESDAY APRIL 5

6 PM REGINA CARTER: GONE IN A PHRASE OF AIR Trustees Theater General Admission $46

FRIDAY APRIL 7

5:30 & 8 PM THE ALT WITH OISÍN MCAULEY / TÉADA

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $42

5 & 8:30 PM

STANTON MOORE TRIO / ROOSEVELT COLLIER

North Garden Assembly Room at Ships of the Sea Museum

General Admission $39

6 PM PHILIP DUKES & FRIENDS III

DOHNÁNYI’S DELIGHT

Trinity United Methodist Church

General Admission $52

8 PM LOS LOBOS

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$37, 47, 57, 67, 77 (Gold Circle)

7:30 PM SAM BUSH PLAYS JOHN HARTFORD / THE JERRY DOUGLAS BAND

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$37, 47, 57, 67, 77 (Gold Circle)

THURSDAY APRIL 6

5 & 8:30 PM

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA / JAKE BLOUNT, NIC

GAREISS & LAUREL PREMO Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $42

6 PM DOVER QUARTET WITH JOSEPH CONYERS Savannah Cultural Arts Center General Admission $57

5:30 & 8:30 PM

KENNY BARRON & DAVE HOLLAND TRIO WITH JOHNATHAN BLAKE

Charles H. Morris Center General Admission $46

6 PM EMERSON STRING QUARTET

Trinity United Methodist Church General Admission $57

8 PM PATTY GRIFFIN

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$37, 50, 60, 70, 85 (Gold Circle)

7:30 PM LEO KOTTKE Trustees Theater General Admission $43

SATURDAY APRIL 8

12:30 PM NOON30: TÉADA

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $31

2 & 5:30 PM

ETIENNE CHARLES: TRACES / HAROLD LÓPEZ-NUSSA: TIMBA A LA AMERICANA

Charles H. Morris Center General Admission $46

6 & 9 P M

ZYDECO DANCE PARTY: JEFFERY BROUSSARD & THE CREOLE COWBOYS

Metal Building at Trustees’ Garden General Admission $39

6 PM DREW PETERSEN, PIANO

Trinity United Methodist Church General Admission $52

7:30 PM CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT / SAN SALVADOR

Lucas Theatre for the Arts

$37, 50, 60, 70, 85 (Gold Circle)

For an interactive guide to the 2023 lineup, visit savannahmusicfestival.org to listen to audio and watch video of all performers.

ADMINISTRATIVE

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CONTENT

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CHANTEL BRITTON MANAGING EDITOR chantel @connectsavannah.com

MCKENNAH DRURY GRAPHIC DESIGNER (912) 721-4354

EDITORIAL

CONTRIBUTORS

Jesse Blanco, Beth Logan, Bunny Ware,, Alan Sculley, Abigail Newman

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Dear valued readers,

We at Connect Savannah are thrilled to announce a significant change in the format of our beloved arts and entertainment magazine. Starting with this issue, Connect Savannah will be available in a monthly printed magazine, instead of the weekly format that we have been publishing for many years.

The print and media industries have undergone a lot of changes in recent years, and we want to assure our readers that we have taken all of these changes into consideration when making this decision. We believe that by transitioning to a monthly format, we will be able to provide our readers with more indepth and comprehensive coverage of the arts and entertainment scene in Savannah.

While our printed issues will now be smaller in size, we will be incorporating a glossy, magazine-style look throughout the publication, which we believe will enhance the

overall reading experience. We will also continue to focus on delivering news and arts and entertainment stories online at connectsavannah. com, which will allow us to keep our readers informed in real-time, as well as bring you the calendar items you all look for when planning your week!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sticking with us through all the changes in the print and media industry as we make decisions and grow our product. We assure you that there are new and exciting things to come, such as events, contests, and the content you already know and love. We are confident that this new format will allow us to bring you even more of the best in arts and entertainment in Savannah.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

ERICA BASKIN PUBLISHER

OUR VALUES

Connect Savannah is an arts, entertainment and news magazine, focused on Savannah and the Coastal Empire life and experience. We strive to feature stories that impact our community and the people who live here— to educate, entertain, inform and foster conversation.

We appreciate and encourage readers to share news and information with us, and to share any criticism and questions. We want to be your comprehensive source for what happens in our community and beyond. We are here to serve you. Find us on the following social media platforms or reach out to us at news@connectsavannah.com or 912-721-4378.

The second Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum kicks off at the Kehoe iron Works at Trustees’ Garden Feb. 27-28. See bios

FEBRUARY

CONNECT SAVANNAH AT A GLANCE

MENOPAUSE The Musical LIVE ON STAGE

FEBRUARY 2 - 5

The Historic Savannah Theatre presents this hilarious musical parody set to classic 60s, 70s and 80s songs about hot flashes, mood swings, memory loss and more. Millions of women worldwide have been laughing and celebrating. It’s a perfect “Girls Night Out!” savannahtheatre.com

SUPER MUSEUM SUNDAY

FEBRUARY 5

Multiple sites across Georgia. Explore nearly 100 sites in person and online during Super Museum Sunday. Georgians and visitors alike experience our state’s rich history and cultural life as historic sites, house museums, art museums, and other points of interest throughout Georgia open their doors for an exceptional opportunity to experience the history in our own backyard. Free and open to the public. georgiahistoryfestival.org

THE MUMMY CATS, THE TRAGEDEE, JUST RATS

FEBRUARY 9

@El Rocko Lounge. The Mummy Cats - Birmingham Indie pop/Garage Rock; The Tragedee - Savannah, GA Funk/ Indie rock; Just Rats - Savannah, GA Alt rock/Punk. Doors open at 8 p.m. coastalrocksavannah.com

SENSITIVE CONTACTS: INTERACTIVE ART

BY SCENOCOSME

All MONTH

Telfair’s PULSE Art + Technology Festival returns for 2023 with an exhibition of interactive installations by Gregory Lasserre and Anais met den Ancxt, two French artists who work as a duo under the name Scenocosme. Interactivity is integral to their work, which encompasses software, sound, visuals, a variety of materials, and architecture. They also explore invisible relationships within our environment responding to the energetic variations of living beings. This exhibition includes four signature works that allow participants to interact in surprising ways.

telfair.org

2023 GEORGIA DAY PARADE

FEBRUARY 10 10:30 a.m. Downtown Savannah Students, musicians, local dignitaries, and costumed historical figures march through Savannah’s historic squares during the Georgia Historical Society’s Georgia Day Parade. This student-focused annual event recognizes Georgia’s diverse history through the commemoration of the founding of the Georgia colony at Savannah. The parade route begins at Forsyth Park and runs to City Hall.

A RESERVATION FOR ROMANCE: WHERE TO DINE ON VALENTINE’S DAY

Valentine’s Day is here, which means now’s the time to start planning for this yearly celebration of love. The Hostess City is chock-full of romantic restaurants that would love to host you this Valentine’s Day. So, make your reservation at one of these enticing establishments soon.

MAMMA MIA!

LIVE ON STAGE

FEBRUARY 10 - 25

The Historic Savannah Theatre presents the worldwide smash hit based on the songs of ABBA. The enchanting love story, energetic dance numbers and outrageous 70s costumes make this the ultimate feelgood show. You’ll be dancing out of the theatre!

savannahtheatre.com

SAVANNAH CABARET: LOVE STORIES/LOVE SONGS 2

FEBRUARY 10

The love stories are back and so are the best love songs of all time! Join us Friday, February 10 at 7:30pm and for a special Valentine’s Day show on Tuesday, February 14 at 7:30pm at Club

One in Downtown Savannah for a sequel to our hit Valentine’s Day show! Love Stories/Love Songs 2: Love Endures features four tales of four very different couples at different stages of their relationships. savannahcabaret.com

YAPPY HOUR

FEBRUARY 15

Starland Yard. 3rd Wed.every mo., 6-8 p.m. Relax and enjoy an entertaining social evening with your pooch (or without) hosted by the Savannah Kennel Club and sponsored by HipsterHound. Food trucks, libations and fun. No admission. Family friendly. starland yard.com

CONTRA DANCE

FEBRUARY 17

@Frank G. Murray Community Ctr. (125 Wilmington Island Rd.)

‘The Glow in the Dark String Band’ will play the tunes. Callers Bob Beattie and Joyce Murlless will prompt the action. Come join in the fun of contra and squares and a couple of waltzes. NEWCOMERS WELCOMED, Easy to learn, no experience or partner needed, two left feet accepted, come at 7:00pm for lesson or refresher, casual dress, teens and up. Friendly, non-smoking, and alcohol free setting.

BAM! CELEBRATING BLACK ARTISTS IN MUSIC

FEBRUARY 20

@Lucas Theatre for the Arts. Join SCAD and the HoneyBees, the university’s signature performance ensemble, for BAM! (Black Artists in Music), a concert celebration of Black History Month and Georgia Day that spotlights the rich musical traditions and innovations of African American musical artists hailing from all corners of the Peach State. Back by popular demand, this year’s show features bigger sounds and even bigger stars. lucastheatre.com

SEUSS FEST

FEBRUARY 25

celebrate the fun and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss during Seuss Fest 2023 at Savannah

22 SQUARE

Located inside the Andaz Savannah hotel, 22 Square is an upscale eatery with a simple and sustainable approach to cooking. The seasonal menu features modern takes on Southern-inspired cuisine, made with the freshest locally-sourced ingredients. In addition to the artful dishes, 22 Square has a full service bar, offering craft cocktails to help you relax into romance..

ALLIGATOR SOUL

Alligator Soul is an excellent option for adventurous diners, often serving up exotic meats like antelope, ostrich and kangaroo.

Children’s Museum on Sat. Feb. 25.Attendees are encouraged to dress as their favorite Dr. Seuss character in honor of the children’s book author. The event will take place from 10 am to 1pm. chsgeorgia.org

WINEHOUSED: THE AMY CELEBRATION

LIVE IN CONCERT

FEBRUARY 25

8-10 p.m. Winehoused: The Amy Celebration is a 10-piece band tribute to the talent, beauty and music of Amy Winehouse. This show has been described as a “fullfledged Amy party that will leave you breathless!” and features rich background vocals, lush horns and tons of style. plantriverside.com.

AN EVENING OF IRISH MUSIC & HUMOR WITH HARRY O’DONOGHUE

FEBRUARY 26

Join singer songwriter and GBP radio host Harry O’Donoghue for an evening of Irish music and humor. His arrangements of traditional, contemporary and original songs are complemented by his quirky observational comedy and presented with professionalism and charm. On stage with bodhran and acoustic guitar Harry weaves the story of old Ireland infused with the freshness of a new century. tybeeposttheater.org

HIGHLIGHTED PICKS FROM HOSTESS CITY HAPPENINGS THIS MONTH

To have your event considered for inclusion, please visit connectsavannah.com and enter your event in our online calendar. There, you can manage your entries, change and add dates, times, etc.

PLAN YOUR FEBRUARY NOW!

Visit ConnectSavannah.com to find our 24/7, comprehensive list of all the things to do in Savannah this month. From theater performances to live music shows, art exhibitions to food festivals, Connect Savannah has got you covered. So, check out the website now and start planning your perfect February experience in the Hostess City today!

They offer a seasonal menu, each dish is lovingly made farm-to-table. With its low lighting and thoughtful service, there is just the right ambiance for a romantic dinner.

ARDSLEY STATION

Specializing in approachable American cuisine, Ardsley Station is another choice that is sure to impress your Valentine. They offer intimate indoor seating as well as spacious outdoor seating, should the holiday come with warm weather this year. Enhance your experience with a craft cocktail or wine pairing, and take advantage of their twice-daily happy hour specials.

PACCI

Italian is always a great choice for Valentine’s Day, affording you a special opportunity to recreate your own “Lady and the Tramp” scene over a shared plate of spaghetti. Pacci invites you to ‘ciao down’ on their flavorful Italian cuisine. Treat your date to a delicious meal with expertly-matched craft cocktails and wines. It’ll be a night to remember.

BELFORD’S

Sitting on the southwest corner of City Market, you’ll find Belford’s, a welcoming restaurant known for its seafood and steaks.

Their award-winning surf-and-turf menu has something for everyone. And what says love like a juicy filet mignon or some aphrodisiac oysters? You can dine inside or sit on the patio to hear live music from the market. It’s a recipe for romance.

LULU’S CHOCOLATE BAR

Save room for dessert and satisfy your sweetie’s sweet tooth at Lulu’s Chocolate Bar. The intimate, low-light interior will set the mood while you enjoy decadent desserts. From time to time, Lulu’s will host live musicians, which further adds to the romantic atmosphere.

Compiled by Chantel Britton PHOTOS: Ardsley Station and Alligator Soul.

INTRODUCTIONS: MEET MONCELLO STEWART

Photo by Somi Benson-Jaja

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Shot by Somi Studios

AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACTIVIST SOWING SEEDS IN SAVANNAH

Moncello Stewart is a local leader and grass-roots organizer who is very involved in his community. A native of Savannah, Stewart is an advocate for the underserved, always working to amplify the voices of the historically marginalized. He is the founder of OneSeed, Inc., which is a nonprofit organization that works to elevate and enrich smaller nonprofits in the local community. Through OneSeed, Stewart has been able to provide small grants and opportunities to several local charities including B.E. Loved Moore Foundation, Save Our Youth Savannah, Shelter from the Rain, M.A.L.E. Dreamers and Operation Kid Forward among others.

Stewart developed the idea for OneSeed around 2017 when he was helping to clean up the city in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Matthew. He noticed that much of the clean-up effort was being conducted by small, local community groups.

“I saw these small community groups, the same people I’m used to seeing just doing the small work. The football team or the mentoring club or the gardening club . . . groups that don’t usually get funded by large organizations. And then it hit me. Who funds the small groups? Who takes care of these small groups that may not ever become 501(c)3 nonprofits,” Stewart recalled.

He created OneSeed to fill in the gap for these small charitable organizations.

“I figured that some of these groups just needed that one seed to push them over the top. That one thing. . . It’s like in our personal lives, sometimes we need that one little push. Everybody’s not looking for handouts. Some people just need that little extra step and that help, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he explained.

OneSeed provides mini-grants to local charities, and they don’t have to achieve 501(c)3 status as long as they are verifiable not-for-profit organizations. OneSeed also assists these small nonprofits with board development and training. Stewart modeled OneSeed after United Way, striving to be a valuable resource in the community for smaller nonprofits.

“I’ve learned a lot from the United Way. I’ve participated a lot and

volunteered with them. . . I think they do amazing work, but they also can’t fund everyone. So, I think trying to raise money to fund those small groups is essential,” said Stewart.

Beyond OneSeed, Stewart lends his time to a plethora of boards, committees and other community organizations. He has served on the Greater Savannah PanHellenic Council, the Savannah Chatham Citizens Advocacy, the Tatumville Neighborhood Association, the Black Heritage Festival Committee, the MLK Parade Committee, the City of Savannah Equity Task Force and more.

Since 2019, Stewart has been serving as the president of the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce, which aims to educate, empower and elevate minority and women-owned businesses in the Savannah metropolitan area.

“As the president, my role is to make sure that we are consistent with our mission and vision to create economic opportunities for African-American businesses. . . Making sure that African Americans are at the forefront of decision making and [ensuring] that we aren’t being left behind when it comes to planning for our community. . . We do that by creating programming . . . and building relationships,” he explained.

According to Stewart, the ability to build lasting relationships is one of his greatest assets. He believes that progress is attainable when community members come together and work towards a common goal. He is the kind of person who starts most sentences with ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, always emphasizing the importance of relationships and communal collaboration.

“I think the highlights of my career are anything involving community, building community. I look at my neighborhood association. When we were able to get the funding to build a community center [in Tatumville] and being a part of that,” he said.

Other highlights for Stewart include his work over the last decade with the MLK Parade and his leadership and efforts within the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. But for Stewart, it all comes back to being a reliable servant within his community.

“Nothing would get done if someone doesn’t stand up and do it. I think that

my thing was always to not wait for it to happen to me or to be personally impacted by it. And that’s important. So, when I was volunteering for March of Dimes or Relay for Life or MS or anything like that, it wasn’t because I had somebody in my family who had MS. It wasn’t because I had somebody in my family who had breast cancer. It was because somebody else had someone in their family who did. And that has always been me,” Stewart expressed.

Stewart is civically-minded and strives to be a good role model and mentor for local youth.

“I think, especially as I’m getting older, how are we passing this information down? What impact are we making? That’s why I try to be a good role model. I think I live my life as a stand-up guy. . . I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I really try to make sure that I look, dress and speak the part,” Stewart began. “[Youth] could see a black guy with dreads who’s clearly got some hood in him, but at the end of the day, they can see the professional side too. I like that,” he laughed.

In addition to his community building efforts, Stewart is the founder, president and CEO of Trident Strategy Group, which is a public relations firm specializing in strategic communications, governmental affairs and political consulting. Through his business, Stewart has worked with several public servants including Stacey Abrams, Tanya Milton, Derek Mallow and others. He is a founding member of the Political Rascals, which is a Savannah-based political action committee, as well as the Movement Matters Coalition of Community Builders.

His political engagement has led to people inquiring as to when Stewart intends to run for office, but he tells them that “there’s no agenda here.”

“I’ve been active in the community since fifth or sixth grade. . . I really love people and I love to work. If that work and people lead me in a certain direction at some point, then I’ll follow that path. But until it does, I’ll just continue to do the work,” he said.

For more information about OneSeed, Inc., visit oneseedinc.com

- Chantel Britton

Fighting the good fight

The life, leadership and legacy of

W.W.LAW

Local Civil Rights leader and preservationist, W.W. Law is an indelible part of Savannah’s history. He was a lettercarrier, a Boy Scout leader, a president of the local NAACP chapter, a historian, an advocate, an organizer and so much more. Law committed his life to the advancement of all people, championing civil rights and working to protect Savannah’s rich historical and cultural legacy.

At the beginning of the new year, the community came together to celebrate Law’s centennial birthday, commemorating the exceptional activist and his myriad contributions to our society, locally and nationally. On Jan. 5, an audience gathered at The Learning Center of Senior Citizens, Inc. for a special panel honoring Law’s instrumental influence, which is still being felt long after his passing in 2002. Law was born on Emancipation Day, Jan. 1, 1923, sixty years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.

“That entry into the world foreshadowed his lifelong fight for equality, justice and freedom for all,” said Luciana Spracher, the director of the City of Savannah’s Municipal Archives. Spracher presented a selection of images and artifacts from the city’s W.W. Law collection at the panel.

The city maintains a collection of more than 2,000 cubic feet featuring archival materials that Law amassed throughout his life. The collection constitutes an amalgamation of correspondence, books, music, art and photographs that represent Law’s diverse interests. Former Mayor, Dr. Otis Johnson described Law as a Renaissance man.

“He was not just a Black leader. He was a human rights leader, and he could talk to you about Mozart. He could talk to you about the spirituals. He had all kinds of artwork in his collection and all kinds of books across the spectrum of race, class and gender,” Johnson explained.

Johnson was joined by Georgia House Representative and former Mayor Edna Jackson and Carolyn Blackshear, who is president of the Savannah-Yamacraw Branch of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History, which Law founded. Moderated by journalist and author Wanda Lloyd, the panelists reflected on their time with Law and the impact he had on each of their lives.

“He meant a whole lot to my life,” Jackson began. “Mr. Law saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. . . He saw the spirit that I had within and he took that and balled it all up and made me one of the leaders in the NAACP.”

Law joined the NAACP Youth Council in 1942 at the age of 19. Throughout his time with the organization, he ascended the ranks becoming the Youth Council president, the national chairman for the annual youth conference and eventually the president of the Savannah NAACP, a role in which he served for 26 years. Through his leadership, he inspired many people from all demographics to get involved in the fight for equality and justice.

“The genius of Mr. Law is that he always had a plan. And the plan made so much sense that to resist the plan was to exhibit your racism or your ignorance . . . So, as he moved through the community to build these coalitions, he had the plan. He was reasonable, and he had the stature in the community,” Johnson recalled.

“The Civil Rights movement was more of a team effort and it was because of the leadership of Mr. Law. . . He saw the good in people and what they had to offer,” Jackson added.

After his time with the NAACP, “Law turned his full attention to preserving the history, landmarks and heritage of Savannah’s African American community,” said Spracher.

He was instrumental in establishing the Beach Institute, the King Tisdell Cottage and the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, all of which are important aspects of Black history locally. He worked with the Historic Savannah Foundation to identify restoration projects and received an award for these efforts from the National Trust. He also received the Richard R. Wright Award of Excellence in 1973 and the Outstanding Humanitarian Award in 1994 from the Longshoremen’s Association.

Despite his many accomplishments and accolades, Law never memorialized himself in an autobiography, a fact that his surviving contemporaries lament.

“All throughout his lifetime, he resisted lifting himself up. He wanted to be among the people and be thought of as one of the people. He was a real egalitarian,” said Johnson, who likened Law’s passing to “a library burning down.”

Though he has departed, his legacy lives on in the lives of those he touched and the institutions he helped to raise up. He will forever be remembered for his visionary and charismatic leadership, his preservation efforts and his unwavering commitment to the causes of equality and human rights for all.

To learn more about W.W. Law and to view his archival collection, visit savannahga.gov/1908/W-W-Law.

SAVANNAH BLACK HISTORY MONTH HAPPENINGS

Black history is an indelible part of the vibrant tapestry that is Savannah’s rich story. And throughout the month, there are some exciting and engaging events taking place to honor the culture, heritage and contributions of the African American community. Celebrate Black History Month in the Hostess City by attending these upcoming events.

SAVANNAH BLACK HERITAGE FESTIVAL

The Savannah Black Heritage Festival returns for its 34th annual iteration with programming and events happening throughout the entire month. This year’s theme is “The Festival Lives So Our Legacy Thrives,” and the festival will bring cultural and historical education as well as performing arts and entertainment to the local community. The Grand Festival Day is set for Feb. 18 from 10 a.m, to 5 p.m. at Savannah State University’s New Student Union. For a full schedule of events, visit savannahblackheritagefestival.org/.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION AT LIVE OAK PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Our local Live Oak Public Libraries are celebrating Black History Month with a series of special programs and events in February. There will be panel discussions, community drum circles, storytelling and more. Additionally, Bull Street Library is displaying the awardwinning exhibit “Go Down to Savannah: W.W. Law’s Negro Heritage Trail.” The exhibit will be available to view from Feb. 1 - 28. For more information, visit liveoakpl.org/blackhistory.

SCAD TOURS: PRESERVING BLACK HISTORY IN SAVANNAH’S COMMUNITIES

The Savannah College of Art and Design invites the local community to travel across time on a bus tour centering visionary voices in Savannah’s African American community. The tours will depart from the SCAD Museum of Art on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets can be reserved on Eventbrite.

HONORING OUR ROOTS

On February 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Savannah African Art Museum is collaborating with the Bull Street Library Kaye Kole Genealogy & Local History Room to host a workshop that will provide tips and resources for tracing your roots. The workshop will include a brief discussion on the importance of knowing your roots, the resources that are available at the library and tips on where to start. The event will be held at the Bull Street Library.

- Chantel Britton

IMAGES: Savannah Black Heritage Festival

GOING GLOBAL: ICONIC SAVANNAH LANDMARK IS BEING RESTORED

By Chantel Britton chantel@connectsavannah.com

The ongoing construction near the corner of DeRenne and White Bluff has brought forth a new Parker’s Kitchen along with incoming Starbucks and Chick-fil-A franchises.

But all the development has led locals to wonder about what’s going to happen to the massive “globe” that sits in the middle of all the new developments

. In short, it isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s getting a facelift.

On Jan. 25, 4th District Alderman Nick Palumbo and Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker gathered in front of the globe on a windy Wednesday morning to share some exciting updates about the sizable Savannah landmark.

“Today is a dream come true,” began Palumbo. “This Savannah icon [is being] celebrated in a way that Savannahians will be able to enjoy for generations,” he expressed.

The City of Savannah partnered with Parker’s to restore the globe, which had fallen into disrepair over the years.

“It’s wonderful to partner with an organization like this that recognizes these historical Savannah landmarks. Not only are they going to preserve it but enhance it. . . I’m so proud and honored that they’ve utilized [the globe] not as an impediment but as a feature of this new site,” Palumbo beamed.

For years, the globe had been blocked off by a chain-link fence, but now locals and tourists alike will have ample opportunities to experience the globe like never before. Drivers will be able to quite literally travel around the globe as they make their way through the Starbucks drive-thru. And Palumbo anticipates the globe will be a popular photo op.

“I expect to see it on the Gram, on SnapChat, TikTok, whatever you’ve got. Do your TikTok challenge right here at the globe,” he said.

The landmark was originally built in the late 1950s by Savannah Gas Co. as an emergency holding station for natural gas. More than sixty years later, the globe is still standing. And it’s been given new life with a fresh repaint by the original muralist, Eric Henn, who first painted the structure almost 25 years ago.

The steel globe has a 65-foot diameter and weighs a gargantuan 576,000 pounds. It’s one of only two structures like it in the United States — the other is near Washington, D.C. — and Henn painted them both. Based in Ohio, he was honored to have been invited back to the Hostess City to restore the globe.

“I see the pride here. This tank could’ve been discarded, but it was opted to restore it because it was a landmark. And it’s an honor to be able to have done this landmark,” said Henn.

The repaint won’t be too different from the original mural.

Henn’s plan is to intensify the colors so it lasts another 25 years. He’s also correcting an error in the original painting.

“The hurricane was a very funny thing I’ll never forget. I had it going the wrong direction originally. Even though I knew what direction it turned, the way I painted it was wrong. So this time, I double and triple checked,” Henn explained.

The mural is expected to be complete within a week, and construction on the site is ongoing. According to Parker, the Chick-fil-A is anticipated to open in mid-February, with the Starbucks following shortly thereafter in March. This development project is breathing new life into this onceneglected Savannah site.

“We’re thrilled to be able to take this eyesore that was a gateway entrance to Savannah and create something we could all be proud of,” said Parker.

TOP: (L-R) Muralist Eric Henn, Greg Parker, Danny Pinyan and Alderman Nick Palumbo gather in front of Savannah’s iconic globe. ABOVE: The iconic globe sits just behind the new Parker’s Kitchen on DeRenne Ave. | PHOTOS by Jillian Rowe.

SAVANNAH AGENDA:

PROPERTY MATTERS

By Eric Curl savannahagenda.com

NONPROFIT’S PLANS FOR CUYLER-BROWNVILLE GET GO AHEAD FROM CITY

The Galvan Foundation plans to get started early this year with the development of single-family houses on three vacant lots on Lavinia Street, after the Savannah City Council approved the New York nonprofit’s plans last month to acquire city properties and build housing in Cuyler-Brownville.

The Land Bank Authority will first need to approve the sale after the properties are transferred from the city. Galvan’s plans will also need approval from the Historic Preservation Commission since CuylerBrownville has been designated a local historic district.

Galvan intends to develop the properties in accordance with the Land Bank Authority’s affordability guidelines by including a combination of housing for people earning up to 80% of the average median income (AMI) and households earning up to 120% of the AMI, according to Galvan’s treasurer, Dan Kent.

“These are both projects and programs that are structured to be affordable to lower income residents and be affordable for people with housing choice vouchers, which we know is a challenge in Savannah for people to even find a place that will accept a voucher,” Kent said.

The nonprofit is not limiting its development activity to housing or the city owned properties.

Galvan has already acquired one CuylerBrownville property, a fire damaged house built in 1901 that has been vacant for more than two decades. Kent said the nonprofit intends to restore the historic building at 2205 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, but has not yet determined what they will do with the adjacent vacant lot that was part of the purchase from the Historic Savannah Foundation.

“We’re interested in having an impact on the neighborhood as a whole,” Kent said. “That includes housing development, but it also includes development of community facilities and anything else that folks see as a need in the neighborhood.”

KIAH HOUSE STRUCTURAL EVALUATION UNDERWAY SAYS NEW OWNER

After purchasing the Kiah House in April, the Historic Savannah Foundation put a temporary roof over the deteriorating structure in September to keep it dry during the hurricane season, according to Ryan Jarles, HSF’s Director of Preservation and Historic Properties. HSF also had an engineer evaluate the property to determine what is wrong with the structure, Jarles said in December. In addition, they are working to get the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which will open the door for grant opportunities and tax credits to help restore the structure, he said. Built in 1915, the house at 505 W. 36th St. in historic Cuyler-Brownville was

ABOVE: Galvan has already purchased the fire damaged, historic property at 2205 MLK, along with the vacant lot. Eric Curl/Jan. 14, 2023

RIGHT: The Kiah House. Eric Curl/ Dec. 23, 2022

While some people binge Netflix, I binge building permits and meeting agendas. This column is based on what I find. Stay Engaged Savannah!

PROPERTY MATTERS (CONTINUED)

transformed into a community museum in the late 1950s by the late artist and educator Virginia Jackson Kiah and her husband, Calvin Kiah, a former Dean of Education at Savannah State College.

The sale of the property to HSF came after years of deterioration resulting from a more than two-decade-old Chatham County Probate Case concerning Virginia Kiah’s estate. After obtaining the engineer’s report, HSF intends to start holding public engagement events to determine the future use of the property, Jarles said.

MOVIE STUDIO DEVELOPER DENIES LAWSUIT ALLEGATIONS

The developer of a proposed 30-acre sound stage and movie production space in the western limits of Savannah recently responded to a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by a local commercial real estate firm.

In the Dec. 26 court filing, StudioSavannah LLC denies the allegation in the Oct. 25 complaint that Savannah-based Development Associates Inc (DAI). was cut out of its role as an investor and developer in KAT-5 Studios.

StudioSavannah, a partnership between David Paterson of Arcady Bay Entertainment and Taylor Owenby of ISP Global Capital, claims in its response that DAI’s allegations should be dismissed because there was no binding contract between them. The “Term Sheet” is “illusory and merely constitutes an agreement to agree,” StudioSavannah’s response states. “Under these circumstances, there is no valid contract between the parties.”

In August 2021, StudioSavannah successfully petitioned for a height variance to develop the film production complex and theater on Savannah’s western edge at 2442 Fort Argyle Road. StudioSavannah then purchased the property for $1.8 million last February.

In the complaint, DAI says it expended significant capital and resources toward the purchase and development of the project. The company is seeking damages for the economic harm it says was caused by StudioSavannah’s alleged “fraud” and “false promises’’.

In its response, StudioSavannah filed a counterclaim seeking relief, including the recovery of attorneys’ fees and costs, related to the “unnecessary trouble and expense” the developer claims was caused by DAI’s complaint.

NEW HUTCHINSON ISLAND APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT

(Rendering pictured above) Alabamabased real estate company Daniel recently submitted plans for a 288-unit apartment complex Hutchinson Island. The project includes a private parking lot, seven enclosed garage buildings and a clubhouse building with a leasing office, mail kiosk and residential amenities.

The complex is proposed to be developed on a more than 16 acre parcel north of Grand Prize of America Avenue that is adjacent to the golf course.

LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE TAKES MORE STEPS TO ESTABLISH SAVANNAH CAMPUS

Ralston College is following through with announced plans to establish a new educational institution “dedicated to human flourishing” in Savannah.

However, the nonprofit college will have to try again this year after being denied a tax exemption for the historic downtown mansion it purchased for $3.5 million. The Chatham County Board of Assessors denied the exemption in December because the college did not take ownership until May. The college needed to own the building at the start of the year in order to qualify for the 2022 exemption.

A similar reason was behind the board’s decision to also deny an exemption for a Baldwin Park home the college purchased for $572,500 in June to house a faculty member.

The college purchased the downtown mansion to use for classrooms, offices and a library, according to public records. Constructed in 1869, the mansion at 3 West Gordon St. on Monterey Square previously housed Alex Raskin Antiques.

The college is now working with local and national preservation experts to carefully restore the “much-loved Savannah landmark in the highest and best manner,” Katie Rook said in December.

The college intends to apply again this year and the decision by the board to deny the exemptions for this year will have no impact on the college’s plans, Rook said.

POOLER’S OGLETHORPE SPEEDWAY TO BE REPLACED BY WAREHOUSE COMPLEX

Semi-trucks and forklifts are set to replace monster trucks and stock cars at the site of the former Oglethorpe Speedway Park in Pooler.

The Pooler City Council recently approved Atlanta-based SDP Acquisitions request to rezone the former Oglethorpe Speedway Park site, along with surrounding properties, from residential to light industrial.

More than 90 parcels were assembled to create the industrial complex, representing an “unusual coalition of property owners who wish to sell their properties for above value pricing to SDP”, according to the developer’s rezoning application.

The Oglethorpe Speedway held its final race in November 2021, following 70 years of hosting stock car races, monster truck shows, demolition derbies, rodeos and more on its dirt track.

Ralston College plans to renovate the mansion at 3 West Gordon St. for use as classrooms, offices and a library.

EAT IT & LIKE IT

PRESENTED BY SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE

THE CHANGING FACE OF SAVANNAH’S DINING SCENE

EAT IT AND LIKE IT

By Jesse Blanco eatitandlikeit.com

It’s significant. Deservedly so. I’ve mentioned in this space more than once that–at any given time–we could count a dozen or more new eateries that are planned to open here in our city at some point in the not too distant future.

It is also fair to say that this is probably the fastest growth in Savannah’s storied history. And all I am referring to is restaurants.

That’s saying nothing about the number of hotels and apartment complexes being squeezed into every nook and cranny they can find in and around our Historic Landmark District.

The good news is the skyline is unlikely to change dramatically for reasons I will leave to someone else. The bad news is the landscape is absolutely changing right before our eyes. Very dramatically if you ask some and they aren’t too thrilled about it.

“It’s just not the same down here anymore.” Is how Steve Llewelyn put it when I talked to him a few weeks ago about his decision to close his Soda Pop Shoppe on Bull Street downtown.

The building has been in his family for years. How many of you remember Blimpies Subs on the corner of Bull and State years ago? That was in Steve’s family as well.

“We don’t see the same people,” he said.

He’s right. As big money comes to develop some of the properties that had been ignored downtown for many years, you are getting a lot of people choosing to move their offices out of downtown.

That means fewer lunch time chats over a chicken salad sandwich

with the attorney down the street that you’ve known for years. Instead, they are being replaced by visitors from Ohio or Tennessee who are only interested in the cheapest eats they can find.

And they’ll still complain about prices. I’ve seen it happen. Don’t get me started.

Michael Meeks set up his shop, Goosefeathers Café and Bakery near Ellis Square close to two decades ago. He’s done very well with it. It is one of downtown Savannah’s most popular breakfast spots.

The line out the door will tell you that. He’s been dreaming of his plot of land in Metter for a few years now. A couple of years ago as we were climbing out of ‘2020’, he said something to me that I’ve heard a few times since.

“It’s a young man’s game down here now”

Mr. Meeks finally sold Goosefeathers this month. He’s moving out to Metter. “Golden Years” he calls them. Gerald Schantz on Tybee Island did the same. Last year he sold the very popular and eclectic Pig and Shrimp shack he created out there. Zunzi’s is now taking over.

There are several other examples of what we are talking about here. But you get the picture. Or do we need to bring up Krispy Kreme on Skidaway Road again? I sure hope not.

Have we bummed you out enough?

Yeah, I get it. The irony is, I’m about as excited about what is happening in our city as anyone can be.

For every Michael, Steve or Gerald out there, there is a new wave of young, hungry, passionate people looking to do great and creative things here in Savannah.

Clinton Edminster, a fixture on our civic scene in Savannah, is as we speak, weeks away from building out a very no frills café on Waters Avenue near Victory Drive. A corridor that is on the uptick after being largely ignored for decades.

Two young men from Los Angeles, one of them a Hunter Army Vet, have built out a gorgeous rooftop venue at MLK and Charlton with their own two hands. VICI Rooftop is beautiful. You should take a look. Brunch is coming there soon.

On Broughton Street, a celebrated New York chef , Christopher Meenan, is building out a grab and go café and bakery.

It wouldn’t take a three-day audit on my time to know how much we invest here in everything that’s new on Savannah’s food scene.

The rooftop at VICI, 411 W. Charlton St. (Image from VICI social media)

JAMES BEARD NOMINATIONS: SAVANNAH’S FOOD ACCOLADES KEEP ROLLING IN

The Grey honored once again

Unforgettable Bakery & Cafe nominated for first time

Savannah’s Unforgettable Bakery and Cafe (238 Eisenhower Dr.) and renowned restaurant The Grey (109 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd) have both been nominated for coveted 2023 James Beard Awards, considered the Academy Awards of the food world.

UNFORGETTABLE BAKERY & CAFE: OUTSTANDING BAKERY

Unforgettable Bakery & Cafe is being recognized in the Outstanding Bakery category. This is owner Belinda Baptiste’s first ever James Beard Award nomination (out of only 20 nationwide), in the first year that bakeries are being recognized. Honorees for this award are nominated for “exemplary breads, pastries, or desserts.” Baptiste and her bakery are best known for the cakes they sell.

“People know us for our cakes,” said Baptiste in a 2020 interview with Connect Savannah.

The cafe and bakery also strives to support the community it serves, so she started a nonprofit called the Unforgettable Dream Fund.

“I want to make a difference in the life of one person or one family at a time. Maybe that one family will one day help someone else. That’s what I want to do, to give back. Giving back doesn’t have to be a lot, you just have to be the leader where you are placed,” she said in the same interview.

A portion of sales goes to provide scholarships to students in underserved communities. According to the mission statement at unforgettabledreamfund.org, their goal “is to change lives, one student at a time, by raising funds for underserved students to attend historically Black colleges or universities.”

THE GREY: OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT

Not new to the James Beard Awards is Savannah restaurant stalwart The Grey, nominated in the Outstanding Restaurant category. Chef Mashama Bailey, who co-owns the restaurant with the managing partner and friend Johno Morisano, took the top honor of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2022.

Known for her port city Southern cuisine, Chef Bailey has been serving thoughtful, artful dishes at The Grey since the tail end of 2014. Over the years, Bailey and her business partner, John O. Morisano, have taken the fine-dining world by storm, firmly etching an indelible spot for Savannah on the national culinary map. With numerous accolades and awards under her belt, she also received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2019.

According to the James Beard Awards, each nominee will be compared and ranked by a panel of three judges to determine the five finalists. Those finalists are scheduled to be revealed on March 29. Then, the winners of the James Beard Awards will be announced at a gala in Chicago, IL on June 5.

EAT IT & LIKE IT (CONTINUED)

Dottie’s Market should be open this Spring.

And, of course, there are more.

That doesn’t make everyone happy. I most certainly get that.

If I had a nickel for every time someone said “I miss old Savannah.”

From my seat though, change is good. Growth is good. Progress is good. Without it, we’d still be waiting for a guy to pull up on a horse twice a week with correspondence from your long lost relative in Garden City.

Count me among the crowd who is excited about what is happening in our city. I’ve seen it from almost the ground up since arriving in 1999. I live downtown. I see the ‘visitors’ regularly. Yes, I’m irritated when they stand in the middle of the street taking pictures at Chippewa Square without any regard to vehicular traffic. I get it.

But I am also glad they are here. Spending their money here in one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in America. That is a fact.

Is that going to help some of you feel better about what is happening in Savannah right now? Probably not.

And that’s OK.

As long at the people in charge of responsible growth do what they are tasked with doing, I think we are going to be just fine.

What’s in store for Savannah in the next 5-10 years is going to be wonderful and I can’t wait.

Dottie’s Market is preparing to open at 207 W. Broughton Street. (Image from @dottiessav on Facebook)

The future Waters Cafe at 2317 Waters Ave.

CULTURE

WHAT ARE WE READING?

PRESENTED AND

CURATED

BY E. SHAVER, BOOKSELLER

February is the month of love, and what better way to celebrate than by diving into a good book? Here are three must-reads that feature romance and love as central themes. These books are sure to make your heart flutter. So, grab a cozy blanket, a cup of tea, and get ready to fall in love with these stories!

LETTERS OF NOTE: LOVE COMPILED

BY SHAUN USHER

the book based on the beloved website of the same name, became an instant classic on publication in 2013, selling hundreds of thousands of copies. This new edition sees the collection of the world’s most entertaining, inspiring and unusual letters updated with fourteen riveting new missives and a new introduction from curator Shaun Usher.

From Virginia Woolf’s heart-breaking suicide letter to Queen Elizabeth II’s recipe for drop scones sent to President Eisenhower; from the first recorded use of the expression ‘OMG’ in a letter to Winston Churchill, to Gandhi’s appeal for calm to Hitler; and from Iggy Pop’s beautiful letter of advice to a troubled young fan, to Leonardo da Vinci’s remarkable job application letter, Letters of Note is a celebration of the power of written correspondence which captures the humour, seriousness, sadness and brilliance that make up all of our lives.

TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT

BY CHLOE LIESE

Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all—an undeniable need for revenge.

Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash everyone’s hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all.

To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder: What if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?

WRITTEN IN THE STARS

BY ALEXANDRIA BELLEFLEUR

After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass.

Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. But she knows it is most assuredly not Darcy... a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, who is way too analytical, punctual, and skeptical for someone as free-spirited as Elle. When Darcy’s brother—and Elle’s new business partner—expresses how happy he is that they hit it off, Elle is baffled. Was Darcy on the same date? Because... awkward.

Darcy begs Elle to play along and she agrees to pretend they’re dating. But with a few conditions: Darcy must help Elle navigate her own overbearing family during the holidays and their arrangement expires on New Year’s Eve. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings during a faux relationship. But maybe opposites can attract when true love is written in the stars?

SAVANNAH BOOK FESTIVAL FEB. 16-19

By Abigail Newman Contributing Writer

SBF RETURNING FOR SIXTEENTH YEAR

In 2023, the Savannah Book Festival (SBF) will celebrate its 16th year as one of the most reknowned invitation-only literary festivals in the country, February 16-19.

The weekend’ main event, Festival Saturday, will take place on February 18, and includes a diverse lineup of authors.

The festival will host three headlining authors: Jack Carr, Preston & Child, and David Maraniss.

They will speak at ticketed events on Thursday, February 16, Friday, February 17, and Sunday, February 19, respectively.

Ticketing information and times can be found on the festival website.

The Festival Saturday lineup is live on the website and includes a number of best-selling authors who have earned such recognition with some of the top-performing books of the past year.

A LOCAL READ: SAVANNAH AUTHOR CAROLYN PRUSA

One of this year’s featured authors is Savannah’s very own Carolyn Prusa, who will be sharing her novel “None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive” at her author presentation on Saturday.

Born in Durham, NC, Carolyn studied

literature and creative writing at Stanford University and Boston University, and has written for Savannah Magazine and the Charlotte Observer, among other publications.

We spoke with Carolyn about her career, her love of Savannah, and what it means to be invited to a distinguished festival in her own hometown.

When did you become interested in writing, and when were you first published?

I have been writing my entire vida loca. When I was in first grade, I started a series about a character named Julie who piles her suitcases to the sky and then climbs them. (Clearly, I struggle with establishing conflict.) I was first published in the Blue Review, my high school literary magazine, and then it only took 30 years after that to sell my first book.

How long have you been in the Savannah area, and what brought you here?

My husband accepted a position with Hugo Boss, which entailed making sure wildly expensive, super-tight suits made it to stores. We’ve been here 10 years! I feel lucky to live in Savannah. Whenever we have friends or relatives visit for the first time, I see the city through their eyes, and I’m reminded of its quirky potpourri of history, beauty, and stories.

How would you describe this book to readers?

It’s a rollicking road trip steered by an overwhelmed mama with guest stars Hurricane Matthew and Prince. There is humor and heart.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

Hmm, let’s see. The book previously included a passage about sand gnats that got cut. My husband is a wonderful man who would probably prefer to stream a Phish concert than start an affair. My top La Croix flavors are pamplemousse, limoncello, and lime. My favorite restaurant in Savannah that’s no longer with us is El Coyote. I love Post Malone. I like buying candles from HomeGoods. There are so many writers on Festival Saturday who I’m excited to see that I might not even have time to be nervous about my presentation or people throwing tomatoes at me.

Perfect for fans of Maria Semple and Jennifer Weiner, the smart and witty debut novel None of This Would Have Happened if Price Were Alive follows Ramona through the 48 hours after her life has been upended by the discovery of her husband’s affair and an approaching category four hurricane. Thoroughly entertaining and completely relatable it’s a hilarious, heartwarming story of a woman up to her elbows in calamities and about to drive off the brink of the rest of her life.

For more information, visit savannahbookfestival.org

Presidents’ Day weekend ushers in the Savannah Book Festival, one of the country’s finest invitation-only literary festivals. The Savannah Book Festival is comprised of four different events – three headliners, and the main festival event, “Festival Saturday”.

The three headliners will speak at ticketed events, for which information can be found on the festival’s website. Tickets are not required for Festival Saturday, and all of the Savannah public is invited.

The weekend begins with an opening address on Thurs., Feb. 16, this year given by New York Times bestselling author and former Navy SEAL Jack Carr.

Carr, who lives in Park City, Utah, is the author of “The Terminal List,” “True Believer,” “Savage Son,” “The Devil’s Hand,” and “In the Blood.”

His debut novel, “The Terminal List,” was adapted into the No. 1 Amazon Prime Video series starring Chris Pratt. He is also the host of the top-rated podcast “Danger Close.”

This year’s keynote address will be on Friday, Feb. 17, by mystery novelists Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Preston has published 36 books of both nonfiction and fiction, of which 29 have been New York Times bestsellers. He is the co-author (with Child) of the “Pendergast” series of thrillers. He writes about archaeology and anthropology for the “The New Yorker,” worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University.

He currently serves as President of the Authors Guild, the nation’s oldest and largest association of authors and journalists.

Lincoln Child was born in Westport, CT, and attended Carleton College, where he graduated with distinction in English.

Over the next several years, he climbed his way up the editorial ladder, becoming a full editor, working on literally hundreds of titles both fiction and non-fiction, and founding the publishing house’s mass-market horror line. Among the authors he groomed for their first full-length book publication was Douglas Preston.

Child went on to collaborate with Preston on their own jointly written thriller, “Relic,” which went on to become a bestselling book and a No. 1 box office film. This established them as a writing team, and the two have gone on to write some three dozen joint novels, many featuring the enigmatic FBI agent Pendergast, and two of which were named in an NPR poll of readers as among the 100 greatest thrillers of all time.

Most of their novels have become New York Times bestsellers, several of which have reached No. 1.

Festival Saturday, the weekend’s main event, takes place on Saturday, February 18th, and is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The full schedule can be found, digitally downloaded, or printed on the festival’s website, under the “Festival Saturday” tab.

The weekend will conclude with a closing address on Sunday, Feb. 19, from David Maraniss.

Maraniss is a New York Times best-selling author, a fellow of the Society of American Historians, and a visiting distinguished professor at Vanderbilt Univ. He has been affiliated with The Washington Post for more than 40 years as an editor and writer.

In 1993, he received the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for his coverage of former president Bill Clinton, and in 2007 he was part of a team that won a Pulitzer for coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting.

He was also a Pulitzer finalist three other times, including for one of his books, “They Marched into Sunlight.”

He has won many other major writing awards, including the George Polk Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Book Prize, the Anthony Lukas Book Prize, and the Frankfurt eBook Award.

“A Good American Family” is his 12th book. He and his wife Linda split time between Washington, D.C., and in their hometown, Madison, WI.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit savannahbookfestival.org

Every February, as the azaleas are budding under the city’s moss-draped oaks, Savannah rolls out the red carpet for a diverse group of carefully selected authors, both well-known and emerging.

OPPOSITE: Attendees navigate the tables of books at the 2019 Savannah Book Festival. | Photo by Michael Welsh

JACK CARR

DAVID MARANISS PRESTON & CHILD

Friends of Cathedral Music Present

DURUFLÉ REQUIEM & RHEINBERGER ORGAN CONCERTO

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19 | 5:00 P.M.

Members of the Savannah Philharmonic, Joseph Adam, organist of the Seattle Symphony, and the Cathedral Choir in an unforgettable performance of Duruflé’s Requiem and Rheinberger’s Organ Concerto No. 2

With Thanks to

And please plan to join us for TENEBRAE

Wednesday, April 5 | 8:00 p.m.

SAVANNAHCATHEDRAL.ORG/2022-2023-CONCERT-SERIES

By Beth Logan ART COLUMNIST

Robin Elise Maaya is loquacious, vibrant, intelligent, sharp-as-a-whip, and deeply talented.

I briefly wrote about her “It’s A Thursday” photography show and book release last July, but it was not until November that I had an opportunity to meet her in person at a Cleo The Gallery member dinner.

Just home from a trip to Paris Photo, the largest photography fair in the world, Maaya was passionately and excitedly regaling fellow diners about how that experience had, in turns, enthralled, inspired, exhausted, and over-

SUPER STAR: PHOTOGRAPHER ROBIN MAAYA

stimulated her.

“I was photo-drunk! It was the most incredible thing. It’s definitely influenced me - maybe not tangibly in my work quite yet, but in pre-planning…looking at how they displayed work, how they hung it in different and unconventional ways.”

This young woman lives and breathes photography, and damn, is her work good.

By the time she graduated summa cum laude from SCAD in 2021, with her BFA in Photography (Fine Art & Documentary concentration), Maaya had already mounted numerous solo shows, published accompanying monographs, and participated in many group exhibits.

We meet again in January to discuss the second anniversary of “It’s A Thursday,” to be held Thursday (duh), Feb. 2, at Savoy Society.

Most Savannahians know the story by now….following a friendship breakup and freshly coming out of pandemic, Maaya was

feeling socially adrift. Good friend Maggie Hayes was having an art show at Savoy and invited her out. She had such a great time, she returned every Thursday night to candidly document exuberant patrons and staff using Polaroid and disposable cameras. Now, an enormous body of work later, Maaya will be selling books at the Thursday celebration while Hayes will be spinning tunes.

“It’s A Thursday” with its Studio 54/Andy Warhol/slightly voyeuristic vibe seems fun and frothy compared to Maaya’s other portfolios of work, each beautifully laid out and explained on her website, robinmaaya.com. Her personal work is black and white (“I develop all my own film in my bathroom at night”) and the first portfolio is titled “Girls Ward: Left”…

…“Girls Ward: Left” was her first solo show in January of her sophomore year and centered around childhood trauma and her teenage admission to a mental institution. The searingly honest work addresses difficult

Maaya in her art-filled apartment.

subjects others would feel too vulnerable or even ashamed about to discuss, but she says, “To be overly open is the way I deal with things.”

The accompanying monograph containing her institutional records and forms sold out at the reception: “Every time I do a show, I make a book to go with it. I order them in advance, so I front the money and then I’m anxious about it for two weeks.”

In the fall of 2019, Maaya showed “Moulting.”

“That was my coming-out story to my Mom. I’ve known I was gay since I was four, and I knew she had her suspicions, but I didn’t know how to tell her. So I made a whole body of work even though there was never a question of whether she would accept me. It started out as a way to tell my mom, but really it was a way to process accepting myself.”

“Home Away From Home,” Maaya’s Senior Exhibition in 2021 was comprised of a monograph, largescale black and white photographs, photographic etchings, cyanotypes, encaustics, and a huge installation piece.

It is a hauntingly beautiful collection of work surrounding her part-time employment as a respite-care nanny for the

family of acclaimed Savannah photographer Christine (Chrissy) Hall.

“I pretty much lived with them for three years. I was at their house three days a week. Her twin daughter Ruby is non-verbal autistic with Cerebral Palsy and I fell in love with her instantly. I would die for this child.”

When I remark that I see similarities between the authentic honesty of Hall’s photographic style and her own, Maaya tells me, “Chrissy hired me to do some editing of her shoots and she’s definitely had a huge influence on my work, and we both are influenced by Sally Mann.”

She refers to the stellar American photographer Sally Mann (b.1951) whose iconic series “Immediate Family,” intimate black and white photographs of her children, first garnered her national recognition.

Determined to meet her idol, Maaya went to Atlanta to see Mann’s 2019 show “A Thousand Crossings” at the High, and the next day arrived super early at Jackson Fine Art, the internationally known photography gallery where she was having a book signing.

“Sally Mann and I are kind of friends now! We text each other.”

In addition to her Senior Exhibition, Maaya produced a Senior Showcase monograph of all her work with children: “Little Children of the Sky” of orphans in creches in South Africa; ten sets of twins in Savannah; a portfolio called “Boyhood” of brothers in Savannah; and an on-going, fouryear series on twin girls Beni and Dani in Mississippi whose images are particularly striking.

Maaya’s work is often stark, but always beautiful. Her photography professor and mentor, Jaclyn Cori Norman, is a mother to twins and connected her to all the parents whose twins she photographed, including putting her in touch with Christine Hall, mother to twins Ava and Ruby, the inspiration for “Home Away From Home.”

Maaya credits Cori Norman for “changing the way I see the world through a lens. She changed the way that I see children. She is my primary mentor and is so influential in why I’m doing what I’m doing now.”

What is up next for this overachieving superstar who, though not required to mount any shows, had four during her time at SCAD? (And I have not even mentioned the 28 stunning portraits of Union Mission clients that hang at the new Parker’s House: A Home for Women.)

Maaya has planned trips to New York and Alaska and will attend

the 2023 Paris Photo.

Meanwhile, she continues to build up her freelance business work: Her website shows recent shoots with textile artist Trish Anderson, jeweler Ben Dory, the Thompson Savannah hotel, Brouchu’s Family Tradition, and others.

And, of course, there is a show almost ready to mount.

“I have an addiction to getting my work out there!” she tells me. “Exodus,” a project started during her prestigious post-graduate SCAD Ateliership, centers on self-portrait work surrounding difficult childhood memories and the departure from childhood to womanhood.

“It’s pretty much done; I have cyanotypes I have turned into pillows, a mobile, and other objects ready to show with it. I think I’m going to exhibit at The Nest, a newer rental gallery space on 33rd Street.”

So, stay posted. This young woman is absolutely going places.

The second anniversary celebration of “It’s A Thursday” party is Thurs., Feb. 2, at Savoy Society. Be the first to see the new 800-page monograph “It’s A Thursday: The Book of Everything,” a compilation of every picture taken over the past two years. Follow Maaya’s Savoy work on Instagram @its.a.thursday, and follow all her work @robinbirdy and at robinmaaya.com

‘...I made a whole body of work, even though there was never a question of whether she would accept me. It started out as a way to tell my mom, but really it was a way to process accepting myself.’

TOTO: BACK TOGETHER FOR TOUR, GRATEFUL FOR NEW FANS

By Alan Sculley Last Word Features

Not long ago – in 2019, to be exact – it looked like Toto’s long and successful run might have really come to an end.

In the time leading up to the split, there were questions about the future involvement of founding member, keyboardist David Paich, and long-time keyboardist Steve Porcaro. Then there was a lawsuit filed by Susan Porcaro-Goings, the widow of drummer and founding member Jeff Porcaro, seeking to recover royalties and other income she believed had not been paid to Porcaro’s estate. The suit created considerable tension between founding guitarist Steve Lukather and Paich and the Porcaro family.

The two sides feuded both publicly and in private, and the anger over the situation was plenty evident in the months leading up to the announcement that Toto was breaking up. The suit was settled in favor of PorcaroGoings.

Singer Joseph Williams, in a mid-January phone interview, said Toto might have survived without breaking up had the lawsuit not happened, but he suspects the 2019 split was inevitable.

“Aside from the whole legal battle and all of that, Steve Porcaro was inching toward not really wanting to be a touring musician anymore anyway. So that would have come inevitably,” he said. “Also, Dave (Paich) was sort of up and down with his health. Although he’s great now and he’s fine and he still comes out and contributes stuff, touring is not for him anymore, either...But you know, the lawsuit was just sort of salt on a thing that was already happening.”

Williams (who was Toto’s singer from 1986-1989 and 2010 to 2019) and Lukather, meanwhile, saw no reason why they couldn’t form a new lineup and credibly return Toto to active duty.

“Luke (Lukather) and I just looked at each other and said we want to work and we want to play. And the music is still worthy,” Williams said. “We feel we can still do a good job and bring the music out, keep doing it.”

So a reunion was announced in 2020, and after a delay due to the pandemic, Toto returned to touring in 2022, with a mix of headlining dates and a run opening for Journey. The group is continuing down a similar road start 2023, mixing in headlining

shows between another run as Journey’s opening act on that band’s winter-spring tour.

The new lineup includes Williams, Lukather (who has also appeared on some 1,500 albums by a who’s who of music artists as one of music’s most in-demand session guitarists), bassist John Pierce, drummer Robert “Sput” Searight, keyboardist/ background vocalist Steve Maggiora, keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Warren Ham

“You’re going to hear the big hits that everybody knows from Toto and stuff that’s familiar from the more successful albums, that kind of stuff,” Williams said of Toto’s shows. “And it’s very high energy, rock kind of take on it all. So it’s a lot of fun.”

The 2019 split was not the first time Toto had broken up, or at the least, been on uncertain footing.

Toto was formed in 1977 by high school friends Lukather, Jeff Porcaro (already an acclaimed session drummer), Steve Porcaro and Paich, with singer Bobby Kimball and bassist Dave Hungate completing the original lineup.

‘When we play that song (now), everybody’s up, like it’s a soccer game!’

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE ARTISTS.

The group had immediate success, as the 1978 self-titled debut album spawned the hit single, “Hold The Line,” and went on to top two million copies sold in the United States alone.

The string of successful albums extended into the 1980s, with Toto hitting a peak when the 1982 album, “Toto IV,” became a triple platinum smash behind the hits “Rosanna,” “Africa” and “I Won’t Hold You Back.”

It was against the backdrop of that blockbuster success that issues started to blunt the band’s momentum. In 1983, Hungate left Toto (with another Porcaro brother, Mike, taking the bass slot) and the band fired Kimball, who was dealing with drug issues.

The band pressed on, bringing on Fergie Frederiksen as the new singer and making the 1984 album, “Isolation.” The album failed to achieve anything close to the sales of “Toto IV,” and Frederiksen did not work out as the singer.

This is when Williams, who had known the Lukather and the Porcaros going back to his middle school years, auditioned and was chosen as the next singer in Toto. Williams was thrilled to join Toto, although he was aware the group was feeling the weight of expectations at the time.

“There was pressure, but they never applied direct pressure, like if you don’t deliver we’re f***ed,” Williams said. “It was never anything like that with them. But looking back on it, I can certainly remember sort of the tension between the other five guys, just having the blockbuster album and losing a singer and then the follow-up (album) not being as big. They wanted to keep it going and do it right. They experienced a whole lot of pressure at that time.”

Williams made two albums with Toto –1986’s “Fahrenheit” and 1988’s “The Seventh One,” but on tour the following year, vocal issues forced him to part ways with the band.

As the decade ended, Toto’s popularity had faded, particularly in the states. The band soldiered on through the 1990s into the early 2000s, with sustained popularity in Europe helping keep the band’s career viable. But along the way, the group suffered tragedies (in 1992, Jeff Porcaro died of heart failure while doing yard work, while Mike Porcaro was forced out of music in 2007 by ALS disease) and had multiple personnel changes. In early 2008, Lukather disbanded the group, saying it no longer felt like Toto.

Ironically, it was Mike Porcaro’s ALS illness that initially put Toto back together. In 2010, Paich called Lukather about doing a short reunion tour to raise funds for Mike’s medical treatments. Lukather agreed, but only if Williams and Steve Porcaro also rejoined. Everyone signed on and soon things evolved into a full reunion.

(CONTINUED NEXT PAGE)

WHISKEY MYERS:

MORE THAN JUST ‘YELLOWSTONE’ BAND PROMISES MUSICAL TWISTS WITH NEW ALBUM, SAVANNAH SHOW

By Alan Sculley

From the first notes of the song “Tornillo,” which opens the album of the same name that Whiskey Myers released last July, it’s apparent that some new musical twists are in store from the veteran band.

Horn parts straight out of a spaghetti western open the song, before it segues into the next track, “John Wayne,” and the kind of crunchy mix of rock and country that has come to define the Whiskey Myers sound emerges.

And on several of the other songs – most notably on the aforementioned “John Wayne,” “Antioch,” “Feet’s” and “Mission To Mars” – robust horn lines and female backing vocals bring new dimensions without altering the core sound of the band.

But don’t assume that the additional instrumentation and vocals were some big calculated move.

“We never really do that much thinking about it. Usually we just go in and make a record,” Cody Cannon, Whiskey Myers’ frontman and main songwriter, explained in a recent phone interview. “This time, it was a little bit different. We’d been wanting to do horns for awhile. I guess during the writing process, I was hearing like horns and stuff behind certain sounds. It was in the back of my mind. So I guess that was different this time. We try not to put that much thought into it, trying to find the perfect sound. But I knew on this record I didn’t want to do the same thing. I wanted to do something different.”

That rather spontaneous approach to making music has served Whiskey Myers well throughout a career that now stretches back 15 years and six albums.

Formed in 2007 in Palestine, Texas, the band – singer/guitarist Cannon, guitarist John Jeffers, guitarist Cody Tate, drummer Jeff Hogg and bassist Gary Brown (replaced in 2017 by Jamey Gleaves) – wasted little time getting their career started. In 2008, Whiskey Myers released their debut album, “Road of Life,” and began playing shows in Dallas and on the Texas red dirt country scene.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 38)

Photo by Khris Poage

TOTO (continued from previous page)

Over the next eight years, the band toured extensively, made a well-received studio album, “Toto XIV,” as well as several live releases, and then got an unexpected boost in 2018 when Weezer covered the band’s signature hit, “Africa.”

“When we play that song (now), everybody’s up, like it’s a soccer game,” Williams said. “So that’s our calling card and we’re grateful to Weezer for doing it and putting it in the ears of a younger generation, and also (to) the fans of Toto from when those songs were actually on the air, their kids are fans of it.”

Despite the renewed momentum, tensions over the lawsuit and between band members led to the 2019 breakup.

With COVID sidelining all live music, Lukather, Williams and Paich each made solo albums, before regrouping the current edition of Toto and returning to touring last year.

Williams is hoping for another long run with Toto. Lukather has ruled out making new albums as Toto, but the singer isn’t closing the door on anything going forward.

“We’ll see how it evolves. I understand how Luke feels just because if there were to really be a Toto album, we’d have to have the participation from particular people,” Williams said. “The way we’ve been doing it is Luke’s putting out a new album that we did last year. Dave put out an album. These sort of mini-Toto albums, you have to sort of throw them all together and get the (Toto) experience that way. It’s understandable, but like I say, never say never. We’re not old, old men yet. We’re just sub-elderly, so there’s plenty of time to change minds and do stuff.”

Toto plays Enmarket Arena on Wed. Feb. 8 as part of the Journey and Toto Freedom Tour 2023. For information and tickets, visit enmarketarena.com

ST PATRICK’S DAY IN SAVANNAH RIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

WHISKEY

(continued from page 35)

As subsequent albums were released –“Firewater” in 2011, “Early Morning Shakes” in 2014 and “Mud” in 2016 – the band expanded their tours beyond Texas, playing shows across the United States as their grass roots following grew and the band racked up positive reviews for their brawny mix of rock and country.

Then in 2018, Whiskey Myers’ career took a significant upturn when several of the band’s songs were used in the first season of the hit television series “Yellowstone” and the band did a cameo in the fourth episode of season one.

At the time, Cannon said, he and his bandmates didn’t think a whole lot about their involvement in “Yellowstone,” but he now realizes what a major moment it was.

“Just us being an independent band and never really trying to write radio songs or take them to radio in any certain way, we had never had a platform to reach millions of people like that at once, just like hey, in your face, here we are,” Cannon said. “That was the first time we ever had that happen, a platform like that to reach those people.”

Now comes “Tornillo,” and the band is poised to reach an even larger audience. Like the self-titled album, “Tornillo” was self produced by the band, which is fitting for a band that’s been an independent act from day one.

Cannon said going the do-it-yourself route seemed like the only viable option for Whiskey Myers, and having turned down overtures from labels in the past, he doesn’t foresee a scenario where the band would benefit from signing a label deal.

“It’s like why wouldn’t you do it yourself and own it?” he said. “Now we’re so far into it, like hell, why would I want to do that now? I don’t want a boss. That’s what you’re essentially doing, you’re working for somebody. It’s kind of a partnership, but not really. They’re telling you what to do and giving you deadlines to make stuff. I’m not interested in that stuff at all.”

With “Tornillo” out, Whiskey Myers is back on the road, but Cannon said the group will be cautious about adding songs from the new album to the set.

“We’ve kind of learned that process by trial and error,” he said. “You know, back in the day maybe you were excited to show people new material and stuff and you put four to six in the set and people just kind of stand there and look at you with a blank look because they don’t really know what’s going on. But we’ll be playing some new stuff on the tour coming up, I’m sure.”

Whiskey Myers plays Enmarket Arena on Sun., Feb. 19. For more information and tickets, visit enmarketarena.com

PHOTOS FROM THE 2022 SOUTHEAST GEORGIA LEADERSHIP FORUM

PHOTOS BY BUNNY WARE

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA LEADERSHIP FORUM RETURNS FOR SECOND SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum is back for its second year, and it’s shaping up to be even bigger and better than last year. The event, which will be held on February 27-28 at the historic Kehoe Iron Works at Trustees’ Garden in Savannah, is a gathering of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members from across the region.

Last year’s forum was a huge success, drawing in over 300 attendees from all over the Southeast. The event featured keynote speakers from some of the region’s top companies, as well as panel discussions, networking opportunities, and workshops focused on leadership, innovation, and business growth.

According to Erica Baskin, publisher of Connect Savannah, “Last year’s Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum was a fantastic opportunity for business leaders in the region to come together, share their expertise, and learn from one another. We’re excited to see the event return this year and can’t wait to see what new insights and connections will be made.”

This year’s forum will feature a diverse lineup of speakers and presenters, including entrepreneurs, business leaders, and community activists. Attendees will hear from Ciara and Russell Wilson along with retired Army Lt. General Leslie Smith

and The Grey’s Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano among other esteemed speakers. Morris Multimedia Regional Manager, Charles Hill Morris, Jr. is looking forward to hearing from everyone.

“I think each one of them is going to bring a different insight and an amazing perspective. I just think it will be fantastic,” said Morris.

Forum organizers identified the impressive roster of speakers as dynamic and energetic people whose messages and expertise can help inspire positive change in audience members. Attendees can expect to learn about the latest trends in leadership, business growth, and innovation while connecting with other like-minded individuals.

“It’s important to have a safe space where people can get together, have conversations, find common ground, and have their thinking somewhat challenged,” said Morris.

Beyond fostering vital relationships and promoting communication, Morris hopes that the forum will inspire attendees to take action for the betterment of the local community.

“What we really want to do with the forum, and it’s in our mission statement, is delight, entertain, challenge people’s thinking and have a bias toward action. . .

We’re trying to start making a difference with the generational poverty in our community,” Morris explained.

By engaging local and regional leaders in productive conversation, Morris anticipates that the forum will bring about change, not only in the lives of the attendees, but in the lives of the underserved throughout Southeast Georgia. That’s one of the most important goals for this year’s forum.

“Year two, we want to make a meaningful difference in Savannah . . . helping coalesce a message and helping action occur around that generational poverty issue that’s plagued our region for a while,” he expressed.

He encourages everyone to come out and join roughly 450 others who are making a difference in the community.

“[People] should absolutely come because they are going to hear messages from world-class speakers with outside perspectives that have the ability to touch and change lives. They should also come because they have a desire for improvement in our community and want to be around those who are making things happen and . . . be part of a movement going forward,” Morris said.

For more information and tickets, visit southeastleadershipforum.com

2023 leadership award recipients

Matt West | Emerging Leader Award

Matt West is the President of West Construction Company. Originally from Moultrie, Georgia, Matt and his wife Courtney moved to Savannah in 2007, where he worked with a local general contractor for 8 years in various roles. In 2014, Matt founded West Construction with one goal, to provide a more personal and thoughtful approach to commercial construction in Savannah.

In 8 short years, West Construction has received nine awards from the Associated General Contractors and Engineering News Record on various projects. However, the biggest affirmation of a job well done is the number of repeat clients, referrals, and community support.

Matt graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Business Management is an alumnus of Leadership Savannah and Leadership Georgia. Matt is active in many civic and professional organizations, serving on the Board of Directors of the Associated General Contractors of Georgia, the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, Union Mission, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce as well as the Board of Trustees of the Telfair Museums.

bob james | Legacy Leadership Award

Robert E. “Bob” James is Chairman of the Board and President of Carver State Bank. He is also Chairman of Carver Financial Corporation, the holding company that owns Carver State Bank of Savannah, Georgia as well as Alamerica BancCorp and Alamerica Bank of Birmingham, Alabama. Having served as President of Carver since 1971 (more than 51 years), Bob holds the distinction of being Georgia’s longest tenured bank president, and the African American with the longest tenure of service as president of a bank.

A native of Hattiesburg, MS, Bob received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morris Brown College and the Master in Business Administration degree from Harvard University. He has also been awarded two honorary doctoral degrees.

During 1973, Bob revived The Savannah Tribune weekly newspaper, one of the oldest newspapers owned by African Americans in the nation. Currently, Bob’s wife is the owner and publisher of The Savannah Tribune.

During 1978, Bob served as Chairman of the National Bankers Association, the trade organization representing the minority and female- owned banks in America. He was elected to a second term as Chairman of the National Bankers Association in 1990.

Don Waters | Legacy Leadership Award

Don L. Waters is the CEO of Waters Capital Partners, LLC, an investment company and family office. From 1993 through 2016, he was the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Brasseler USA, Inc., an international manufacturer of dental and medical surgical instrumentation. Prior to his business career, Waters practiced for 20 years as both a Certified Public Accountant, as a partner with Price Waterhouse & Co., and as an attorney, as a partner with the Savannah based law firm Hunter Maclean. At Hunter Maclean he worked closely with former Savannah Mayor, and firm Senior Partner, Malcolm Maclean.

Waters graduated from Armstrong State College with a BBA, cum laude, in Accounting, and the University of Georgia School of Law, cum laude, with a JD, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He and his wife Cindy have two daughters, five grandsons, and are members of the Isle of Hope United Methodist Church.

Ciara is a Grammy Award-winning singer/ songwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Over her seventeen-year career, she has sold over 23 million records and 22 million singles worldwide, including charttopping hits “Goodies,” “Ride,” “Oh,” “1, 2 Step,” “I Bet,” and “Level Up.”

Ciara is a Grammy Award-winning singer/ songwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Over her seventeen-year career, she has sold over 23 million records and 22 million singles worldwide, including chart-topping hits “Goodies,” “Ride,” “Oh,” “1, 2 Step,” “I Bet,” and “Level Up.”

Denver Broncos quarterback and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson has not only cemented himself among the most accomplished and influential athletes of his generation, but he has also redefined the scope of the modern sports superstar through his work as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, and more.

Ciara is not only known for her vocal talent and dance moves (her videos have been viewed over 2 billion times), but she has starred in both film and television roles.

Ciara is not only known for her vocal talent and dance moves (her videos have been viewed over 2 billion times), but she has starred in both film and television roles.

ciara

Singer/songwriter, Entrepreneur, philanthropist

Ciara is the founder and CEO of Beauty Marks Entertainment (BME), a company at the vanguard of the fast-changing music industry. With a business model built on fully supporting the artist, the female-led enterprise places Ciara at the forefront of forward-thinking entertainers taking an entrepreneurial approach to their careers.

Ciara is the founder and CEO of Beauty Marks Entertainment (BME), a company at the vanguard of the fast-changing music industry. With a business model built on fully supporting the artist, the female-led enterprise places Ciara at the forefront of forward-thinking entertainers taking an entrepreneurial approach to their careers.

As a nine-time Pro Bowler who helped pave the way for dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL, Wilson ranks among the greatest players of his era. However, it is his commitment to his community off the field that has provided him with his most cherished experiences and memories.

To that end, the company positions music at the intersection of Ciara’s other passions: film, fashion, philanthropy, and technology. And as part of her ongoing philanthropy work, Ciara sits on the board of the Why Not You Foundation, a charity launched by her husband Russell Wilson dedicated to fighting poverty through education, empowering youth to lead with a ‘why not you’ attitude.

In keeping with her entrepreneurial Ciara is the co-owner of Ten To One rum and recently launched her skincare line OAM (On A Mission) which provides clinical level results through vitamin C.

To that end, the company positions music at the intersection of Ciara’s other passions: film, fashion, philanthropy, and technology. And as part of her ongoing philanthropy work, Ciara sits on the board of the Why Not You Foundation, a charity launched by her husband Russell Wilson dedicated to fighting poverty through education, empowering youth to lead with a ‘why not you’ attitude.

In 2021, Wilson was recognized with the prestigious 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year award, an honor bestowed upon one player each season in recognition of his commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field. Wilson was awarded with this recognition due both to his lifelong charitable mission as well as work as founder of The Why Not You Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to empowering impoverished children through education, health, and wellness. Wilson and his wife, Ciara, have three children, Future, Sienna, and Win.

Most recently they became New York Times Bestselling authors with the release of their first children’s book “Why Not You” (Random House) which was inspired by the work they do through their foundation.

Most recently they became New York Times Bestselling authors with the release of their first children’s book “Why Not You” (Random House) which was inspired by the work they do through their foundation.

russell wilson

denver broncos quarterback

2023 southeast georgia leadership forum speaker profiles

GEORGIA PROUD

During our 50+ years in Savannah, we created the first business jet to fly over both poles, were the first in our industry to make sustainable aviation fuel available to customers and grew our workforce both exponentially and internationally. We proudly share in these successes with our home state, one of the South’s leading hubs of innovation and industry.

Lynsey Dyer is a professional athlete, artist, self healing and wildlife advocate committed to our highest potential through flow states.

As an athlete, Dyer won the FREESKI overall extreme skiing tour(7 straight wins), was the first female on the cover of FREESKIER Magazine (mid air off a record sized 70ft cliff), and named Skier of the Year multiple times by Powder Magazine.

lynsey dyer

Professional Athlete, Film Maker, Designer/Artist, Speaker, Charity Co-founder, Fundraiser

She co-founded SheJumps. org, (to increase participation of women in the outdoors) and designed the iconic Girafficorn (the charity’s main fundraising and branding icon, to welcome more playfulness in the outdoors. Next she produced and directed the first all female action sports film for women and girls.  “Pretty Faces”  which shifted the industry to be more inclusive.

As an artist, Lynsey’s photography has been published in National Geographic Magazine. Her artwork can be seen on everything from ski graphics to NFT’s to large scale murals.

Recognizing approximately half of all skiers are women yet only 13% of ski films included women, Dyer fundraised $115k on Kickstarter to create the first all female action sports film; Pretty Faces. The film won many awards and sold out 100 grass roots shows. Since the release, ski films are much closer to equal representation.

Lynsey hosts the popular outdoor podcast ShowingUP with Lynsey Dyer. She is a trained Breathwork and flow-state facilitator offering movement workshops for breathwork, ski fitness and pregnancy to bring people to their highest potential.

Inspired by her first experices of flowstate, One of Dyers greatest tools for accessing higher states of being is breathwork. Lynsey is a trained facilitator of Transformational Breathing. This powerful technique Increases oxygenation throughout the body allowing freedom from lower states of consciousness and a powerful healing tool.

She designs her own line of function focused wellness and outdoor gear to help women and men perform best.  She tells her unlikely story of success to groups to help them find the unicorn within.

Dyer has been awarded Female Skier of the Year by Powder Magazine multiple times and was the first female to grace the cover of Freeskier Magazine launching a 75 ft cliff. Her photography, an iconic shot of four base jumpers including the late Deane Potter has also been published in Nation Geographic and around the world.

Lynsey has been included in campaigns and commercials from GoPro, Chevy Trucks, MaryKay, Nissan, Jeep, National Geographic, Bravo, Rossignol, Fischer Skis. Dyer has hosted television shows for ESPN, Outside

Lieutenant General Leslie C. Smith, US Army (retired) currently serves as the CEO for LV Smith consulting Group LLC, the Carter Chair for leadership at Georgia Southern and on several corporate boards. LTG Smith received his commission from Georgia Southern University (GSU) in 1983 as a Field Artillery Officer. In 1985, he graduated from GSU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and as a distinguished military graduate and branched as a Chemical Officer.

Lieutenant General, US Army (retired)

LTG Smith’s final assignment on active duty from 2018 to 2021 was as The Inspector General, Office of the Secretary of the Army, the first Chemical officer to serve in that position. His early assignments include service in the 1-230th Field Artillery Battalion of the 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia National Guard; Chemical Staff officer in the 3-52d Air Defense Artillery Battalion; Division and DIVARTY staff officer and company commander in the 82d Airborne Division; Chemical Branch Assignments Officer, PERSCOM; S-3 and XO in the 23d Chemical Battalion; and the Joint Staff, J-5. In 2001, he assumed command of the 83d Chemical Battalion, where elements of the Battalion deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.

Following command, he served on the Army Staff in the G-8 as the Deputy Division Chief and Chief, NBC Branch for the Full Dimensional Protection Division. In 2005, he assumed command of the 3d Chemical Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and later served as the G-3, 20th Support Command (CBRNE). From 2008-2010, he was the 25th Chief of Chemical and Commandant of the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School. In 2010, LTG Smith returned to the 20th Support Command (CBRNE) as the Commanding General. In June 2013, LTG Smith became the first Chemical officer to serve as the Commanding General of the United States Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood. He served as the Deputy the Inspector General from 2015 to 2018.

His military education includes the Chemical Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, Jumpmaster School, Command and General Staff College, and National War College.

His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Senior Parachutist Badge, and both the Joint and Army Staff Identification Badges.

LTG Smith also holds a Master of Science degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University.

He is married to Vanedra, and they have two daughters.

Leslie C. Smith

2023 southeast georgia leadership forum speaker profiles

Dr. Mary Hemphill is a Leadership Expert & Development Coach, K-16 Educator & Administrator, Author, & Motivational Speaker. With over 17 years of professional experience as a teacher, administrator, state director, & university adjunct professor, Mary understands the importance of fusing education, empowerment, & leadership together as she works with learning & working communities & speaks to audiences across the country.

dr. mary hemphill

She holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies, & has led, coached, & impacted close to 45,000 educational and corporate leaders around the world on transformational & innovative strategy, self-empowerment, & leadership development.

Mary is the proud CEO & Founder of The Limitless Lady LLC TM, an organization that helps people ignite the leader in themselves so they can better serve their community, company, and personal career through coaching, consulting, workshops and keynotes aimed at corporate and educational leaders and organizations.

Through her roles as North Carolina’s first state director of Computer Science & Technology Education, Director of Academics, & Chief Academic Officer, Mary is adept at working with leaders at every level to leverage support & leadership around strategic initiatives and programming as well as helping leaders navigate change management. Mary was named Regional Principal of the Year for the Sandhills Region of North Carolina for her transformational work in school turnaround and reform. Most recently, Mary was selected as a 2021 School Ambassador Fellowship panelist by the US Department of Education to add her voice & expertise to the process of selecting ambassadors for the Department’s current administration.

Mary is the author of The One-Minute Meeting: Creating Student Stakeholders in Schools. The One-Minute Meeting teaches readers how to leverage a unique instructional practice called the One-Minute Meeting to authentically glean information from students. Developed to inspire school & district leaders to fully engage with & empower their students, The One Minute Meeting is an exceptional resource for courses in school leadership & administration.

Mary believes that in order to show up in the world as our most authentic & powerful self, we must break through limiting beliefs that inhibit us from reaching the next level as transformational leaders. If we want to create opportunities& pathways that shift our world in a more positive direction, then we need young adults, learning communities, & organizations who are prepared to lead the movement!

In 1987, John O’Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live.

This epic story of survival (first showcased in 2008 with his parents’ acclaimed book Overwhelming Odds) has never felt more relevant than as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic together.

John O’Leary

John inspires 50,000+ people at 100+ live and virtual events each year. He speaks to companies and organizations across industries, including: sales, healthcare, safety, marketing, finance, faith, education and insurance. His schedule is a testament to the power of his message; his emotional story-telling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each presentation unforgettable.

John’s genuine, collaborative approach to partnering allowed him to understand early that clients’ biggest pain point in the wake of the fallout from the pandemic is team “burnout.” To address this, John expanded his Live Inspired Coaching program to bring his keynote from inspirational to transformational. Early successes in the program have clients saying their teams are more focused, collaborative and engaged than ever.

John is a two-time #1 National Bestselling author. His first book ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life has sold 250,000+ copies and been translated into 12 languages. IN AWE: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy published in May 2020 with many saying it is the message we all need right now.

John’s award-winning Live Inspired Podcast has more than 2.5 million downloads and enjoys world-class guests like Brené Brown, Mitch Albom, and Shawn Achor. John considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family.

Leadership Expert & Development Coach, K-16 Educator & Administrator, Author, & Motivational Speaker

Author & Speaker

Amelia Nickerson joined First Step Staffing in January 2018 and was appointed as CEO in May 2020.

Amelia has more than fifteen years of experience as a fundraiser, volunteer, and board member for nonprofits across the Southeast.

Amelia Nickerson joined First Step Staffing in January 2018 and was appointed as CEO in May 2020. Amelia has more than fifteen years of experience as a fundraiser, volunteer, and board member for nonprofits across the Southeast. She previously served as the Vice President of Development and Community Relations at First Step, managing fundraising and community relations for all of First Step’s current markets, as well as assisting with recent expansion opportunities.

She previously served as the Vice President of Development and Community Relations at First Step, managing fundraising and community relations for all of First Step’s current markets, as well as assisting with recent expansion opportunities.

Bird Blitch is the Chief Payments Officer at Waystar, a technology company that helps healthcare providers of all kinds simplify and unify healthcare payments.

He leads the Innovation team, responsible for nurturing the groundbreaking solutions integral to Waystar’s mission to drive growth for clients and transform the healthcare revenue cycle.

Amelia serves on the Worksource Fulton Board and is Chair of Strategic Partnerships Committee.

She is also on the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta Exchange for Workforce Development and Partners for HOME. She is a member of YPO, and she and her daughter are members of the National Charity League.

Amelia serves on the Worksource Fulton Board and is Chair of Strategic Partnerships Committee. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta Exchange for Workforce Development and Partners for HOME. She is a member of YPO, and she and her daughter are members of the National Charity League. Originally from Savannah, Amelia currently lives in Roswell, GA with her husband, Sean, and three children.

Originally from Savannah, Amelia currently lives in Roswell, GA with her husband, Sean, and three children.

PHOTOS FROM THE 2022 SOUTHEAST GEORGIA LEADERSHIP FORUM

Before joining Waystar, Bird founded and served as CEO of Patientco, a cloud-based patient payments vendor that was acquired by Waystar in 2021. Previously, he co-founded leading telecom expense management company BroadSource.

Bird has served as the chair of the HIMSS Revenue Cycle Improvement Task Force and as an advisory board member for the Advanced Technology Development Center, a start-up accelerator that helps entrepreneurs launch and build successful technology companies.

A graduate of Georgia Tech, he was awarded the university’s Outstanding Young Alumnus/Alumna award in 2010 and is a member of the Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni.

Amelia Nickerson CEO, First Step Staffing

bird blitch chief payments officer, waystar

2023 southeast georgia leadership forum speaker profiles

PHOTOS BY BUNNY WARE

TO PREPARE LEADERS

In Statesboro, Savannah and Hinesville we’re training the next generation of Coastal Empire leaders

We believe everything’s a little brighter down here in Southeast Georgia. The sun. The coast. The future.

At Georgia Southern University, we’re serious about one thing — preparing students in Southeast Georgia to get them ready to lead Southeast Georgia into a brighter, better tomorrow.

Coached by world-class faculty and working hand in hand with local businesses and industries, we’re transforming Southeast Georgia, the state and beyond:

✹ More than $1 billion in economic impact

✹ A Top 10 Military Friendly School in the nation (VIQTORY)

✹ Research focused on community and regional impact

✹ A leading producer of health care workers in Georgia

✹ A study abroad campus in Wexford, Ireland

✹ 48,000+ student community service hours in 2022

We’re ready to power growth in our region. Ready to produce leaders. Ready to make a difference.

Because READY is what we do. GeorgiaSouthern.edu

Hala Moddelmog is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woodruff Arts Center. Moddelmog has spent 30 years in president and CEO roles and has served as a corporate director for four NYSE companies and a Carlyle Group private portfolio company board. Her career has been spent almost entirely in Atlanta.

Hala Moddelmog

John Guydon was born in Compton, CA in 1983. Determined to have a better life, John’s parents moved his family to OC. At 7 years-old, he came to the conclusion that Santa Claus was “either racist or didn’t exist”. This led him down a 3-decade long journey to learn more about the connection between race and money, which ultimately ended up fueling his lifelong passion for the connection between mindset and performance.

Moddelmog became the Arts Center CEO in September 2020 after serving for six years as the first female President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, where she represented more than 15 Fortune 500 companies in the country’s eighth largest metro. Prior to that role, Moddelmog was President of Atlanta-based Arby’s Restaurant Group, then a division of the Wendy’s Arby’s group, where she dramatically improved the company’s financial performance, tripling net income.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Woodruff Arts Center

Previously, Moddelmog served as President and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization. Under her leadership, Komen achieved its first 4-Star Charity Navigator rating. From 1995–2004, Moddelmog served as the first female president of an international QSR chain at Church’s Chicken, leading the brand through a complete transformation.

Moddelmog has spent nearly a decade serving in volunteer leadership at the Arts Center. She served on the Woodruff Arts Center Board of Trustees from 2011–2017 and has served on the Woodruff Governing Board since 2017. Concurrently she also served on the Alliance Theatre Board of Directors from 2011–2020 and led the Alliance Theatre Board as co-chair from 2017–2019.

Moddelmog currently serves as a director on the boards of FleetCor Technologies (NYSE:FLT) and Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW). Her service in Atlanta’s nonprofit community currently includes the Board of Trustees of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and on the Executive Committee of Midtown Alliance.

Moddelmog lives in Ansley Park with her husband, Steve. They have two adult children, two sons-in-law, a granddaughter, and a grandson.

At age 10, John developed his own strategy to overcome a severe stutter. He started a business selling candy in the 7th grade to pay for lunch and football cleats, eventually going on to play Division I football at The U and earning a Broadcast Production degree from the school of journalism.

In 2005, tired of the constraints of the traditional corporate world, he left to start his own business. He created a commercial text message platform called Duffled that allows businesses and organizations to text customers using a commercial short code. It’s known as the most powerful SMS marketing software.

In 2012, he sold the company which still runs today, and set his sights on a new problem to solve. After the 2012 kidnapping and murder of a young girl just blocks from her home, John discovered that the Amber Alert system is over a decade old and takes hours to be deployed.

He decided to create something better and launched “The Lassy Project”, software that gives parents and guardians the ability to notify an entire local community about a missing child inseconds, not hours.

The Lassy Project was the first all-black founding team to be accepted into the single largest technology accelerator program in the world: Techstars. His involvement with Techstars launched John into the big leagues, leading to an exclusive invite to spend a week on Necker Island with Richard Branson and top entrepreneurs from around the world.

In 2014, John founded Startups Illustrated, which helps companies raise rounds of funding and gain acceptance into top-tier accelerators. It focuses specifically on empowering underserved communities, encouraging participation and success in the innovation economy by partnering with local students, economic development organizations, corporations, and accelerators to deliver entrepreneurship training programs and boot camps.

Through his experience coaching nearly 200 entrepreneurs from all around the world;John discovered that many of the things holding people back (not just entrepreneurs) are 100% within their control. Family, finances, tragedy, even racism, don’t stand a chance against your mindset.

John Guydon chief payments officer, waystar

IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 50 YEARS

Morris Multimedia Inc.; parent company of Morris Newspaper Company, Morris Network, Morris Technology, and Local Media Outdoor; is among the largest privately held media companies in the United States. Founded in 1970 in Savannah, GA by Charles H. Morris, Sr., the company today owns and operates newspapers, magazines, network television stations, and other media and technology related ventures.

OUR MISSION

Partners Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano are the duo behind Grey Spaces, which operates The Grey Market and The Grey, a formerly segregated 1938 Greyhound Bus terminal they transformed into an essential American dining destination.

Partners Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano are the duo behind Grey Spaces, which operates The Grey Market and The Grey, a formerly segregated 1938 Greyhound Bus terminal they transformed into an essential American dining destination.

Partners Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano are the duo behind Grey Spaces, which operates The Grey Market and The Grey, a formerly segregated 1938 Greyhound Bus terminal they transformed into an essential American dining destination.

Since opening in December 2014, The Grey has earned a number of accolades, including being named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places, Eater’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year and a World’s Best Restaurant by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure.

Since opening in December 2014, The Grey has earned a number of accolades, including being named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places, Eater’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year and a World’s Best Restaurant by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure.

Since opening in December 2014, The Grey has earned a number of accolades, including being named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places, Eater’s 2017 Restaurant of the Year and a World’s Best Restaurant by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure.

MASHAMA BAILEY, JOHNO MORISANO Owners,

MASHAMA BAILEY, JOHNO MORISANO Owners,

Our mission is to enlighten, delight and challenge leaders to think differently and boldly with a bias towards action and to build a bench of leaders for generations to come. We want to raise the opportunities for leadership growth by leveraging the amazing assets our communities possess. It is about taking our communities to the next level. The Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum is a two-day event that brings together more than 400 leaders representing neighborhoods, non-profits, civic groups, government, businesses and the up and comers.

In 2018, Bailey and Morisano opened The Grey Market, combining their love for New York City bodegas - the true lifeblood of any New Yorker - with the history and convenience of the Southern lunch counter.

The Grey was just recently nominated for Outstanding Restaurant in the 2023 James Beard Awards.

In 2018, Bailey and Morisano opened The Grey Market, combining their love for New York City bodegas - the true lifeblood of any New Yorker - with the history and convenience of the Southern lunch counter.

In 2018, Bailey and Morisano opened The Grey Market, combining their love for New York City bodegas - the true lifeblood of any New Yorker - with the history and convenience of the Southern lunch counter.

In 2021, Bailey, the 2019 James Beard Best Chef: Southeast, and Morisano released a co-written culinary memoir, Black, White and The Grey, which explores how the two unconventional partners built a relationship and a restaurant that would inspire conversations around gender, race, class and culture.

In 2021, Bailey, the 2019 James Beard Best Chef: Southeast, and Morisano released a co-written culinary memoir, Black, White and The Grey, which explores how the two unconventional partners built a relationship and a restaurant that would inspire conversations around gender, race, class and culture.

In 2021, Bailey, the 2019 James Beard Best Chef: Southeast, and Morisano released a co-written culinary memoir, Black, White and The Grey, which explores how the two unconventional partners built a relationship and a restaurant that would inspire conversations around gender, race, class and culture.

Organized by Morris Multimedia, with the generous support of Georgia Southern University, the Georgia Ports Authority, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, and Georgia Power, the forum is taking place at Trustees’ Garden in Savannah, Georgia.

To help our community succeed in an ever-changing and fast paced society, the forum is focused on discovering our collective potential to be greater by committing to new ideas, supporting the growth of our emerging and established leaders, and by being purposeful in building collaboration from all segments of our diverse community. Discover strategic solutions from a diverse group of world-class presenters who are all innovative experts in their respective fields.

Working together we can make our communities stronger and better.

Leadership is a skill that needs nurturing and knowledge is power. The 2023 Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum will feed your mind with thought-provoking content, leadership skills, collaborative connections, and the personal and professional growth intelligence you need to be a successful leader.

GREY SPACES

GREY SPACES

2023 southeast georgia leadership forum speaker profiles

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA LEADERSHIP FORUM

PHOTOS BY BUNNY WARE

southeast georgia leadership forum platinum sponsors

We define our success through yours

We can only be successful if our employees, customers and the communities we serve have the opportunity to achieve their own vision of success. Bank of America is helping to build a better tomorrow by using our capital, expertise and innovation to foster a diverse workforce to address societal issues like climate change, gender equality and economic mobility. Shared success means creating responsible, sustainable growth for our company and our world.

Learn more at bankofamerica.com/about Connect with us: @BofA_News

A Financial Partner You Can Count On

At United Community Bank, we understand what it means to be a strong partner for our customers. From local leadership to knowledgeable relationship managers, our team is proud to serve our community.

SAVANNAH

27 Bull Street | 912-234-6565

8201 White Bluff Road | 912-232-5884

2225 E. Victory Drive | 912-303-9667

DINING IN THE DARK BENEFITING THE CENTER FOR BLIND AND LOW VISION

On Thursday, January 26th, 2023 at Enmarket Area, the Savannah Center for Blind and Low Vision presented a unique gala dinner designed to raise awareness about vision loss.

A sumptuous three-course meal was served in complete darkness by Savannah Metro’s SWAT team using their night-vision equipment.

Photos by Bunny Ware

PHOTOS FROM LOCAL EVENTS

View more photos online at connectsavannah.com/connected

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

“GIVE IT A GO”--IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME.

by Matt Jones

ACROSS

1. Strong poker hand

6. Fruit-flavored CocaCola brand

11. Bitingly ironic

14. Alvin of the American Dance Theater

15. Creator of a logical “razor”

16. “Ni ___, Kai-Lan” (2010s Nickelodeon cartoon)

17. Migratory honker

19. “Jeopardy!” ques., actually

20. “It’s the end of an ___!”

21. First “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” host

22. “Of course!”, for short

24. “Rainy Days and Mondays” singer Carpenter

25. Korea’s national dish

26. School cleaner

29. Quilt piece

30. Napoleon Bonaparte et al.

31. “Ratatouille” rodent

32. ___ Technica (tech blog)

35. Minor damage

36. It comes in slices

38. Honor for Viola Davis if she wins her 2023 Grammy nomination

39. Ore-___ (Tater Tots maker)

40. Letter between Oscar and Quebec

41. Painter’s movement

43. ___-Roman wrestling

45. Kind of leap or physics

46. Larry, for one

48. “You’d think ...” followup

49. About the year of

50. “The Imitation Game”

actress Knightley

51. Catchall abbr.

54. ___ Faithful (Yellowstone geyser)

55. “Only Murders in the Building” actress who’s less than half the age of her co-stars

58. Actor Kier of “Dancer in the Dark”

59. “In ___” (1993 Nirvana album)

60. “Buenos Aires” musical

61. “X” is gonna give it to ya

62. “Bye!”

63. Person evaluating something

DOWN

1. Go up against

2. Unreliable informant

3. Forearm bone

4. ___ of Tranquility

5. Get some water

6. Insecticide device

7. Flip ___ (choose by chance)

8. Some mil. academy grads

9. Some proctors, for short

10. Hotel pool, e.g.

11. Question of possession?

12. Chicken nugget dip option

13. Mario Kart character

18. Lockheed Martin’s field

23. “Better Call Saul” network

24. Highland Games attire

25. Ancient Sanskrit guide to life (and I’m sure

Jones

nothing else)

26. “Star Wars” warrior

27. Involuntarily let go

28. Veruca Salt cofounder who left to go solo in 1998 (then rejoined in 2013)

29. Brick-shaped candy

31. Rapper with the alias Bobby Digital 33. Streaming device since 2008 34. Cherry attachment

Big Wall St. news 38. Cube master Rubik 40. Mythical creature with four legs and two wings 42. Scarlet songbird 44. “Arabian Nights” flyer

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

SAVING THE WORLD

On Jan. 25, 4th District Alderman Nick Palumbo and Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker gathered in front of the giant globe (on DeRenne Ave.) to give updates about the repainting and refurbishment efforts of one of Savannah’s most beloved and visible landmarks.

The globe was originally built in the late 1950s by Savannah Gas Co. as an emergency holding station for natural gas. More than sixty years later, the globe is still standing. And it’s being given new life with a fresh repaint by the original muralist, Eric Henn, who first painted the structure almost 25 years ago.

The steel globe has a 65-foot diameter and weighs a gargantuan 576,000 pounds. It’s one of only two structures like it in the United States — the other is near Washington, D.C. — and Henn painted them both.

See the full story on page 20 and online at connectsavannah.com

PHOTO BY JILLIAN ROWE