When Brunswick native Shadah Arnette was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the age of 42, she was stunned.

“My husband found it (tumor) in my right breast on Oct. 22, 2018,” she said. After scheduling a mammogram with her primary physician, Dr. Trent Schueneman, she was diagnosed in November. According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), unlike other forms of breast cancer, triple negative does not have any of the receptors that are commonly found in breast cancer and is generally found in younger women. “Dr. (Antonio) Moran (her oncologist), said they don’t know what causes triple negative.” Whatever the cause of her particular type of cancer, African American and Hispanic women are at higher risk of triple negative breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Thankfully, Shadah said, her cancer was caught at stage one, but she had to undergo a lumpectomy, followed by months of chemotherapy, radiation and breast reconstruction. Also in her favor—she tested negative for the BRACA gene that can increase the chance of developing both breast and ovarian cancers.

Rick and Sharon Hindery met at work. “She was one of the most hard-working and honest people I had ever met,” Rick said about Sharon. Still, it took him a little while to ask her out. “We knew each other and appreciated each other’s qualities before we got to a romantic or dating relationship,” Sharon explained, “I think more people really need to learn to be friends first, before the rest comes along.” When I asked how long they’ve been married, Sharon said, “We don’t do numbers,” while Rick interjected, “We always say, Forever.”

Anyone who encounters Rick and Sharon is struck by how happy they always are. “You’ve seen us retired,” Rick said, “We were literally working seven days a week.” That work was in Chicago, where they had to contend with cold winters in addition to hectic work lives. “Our life now is so different from the life we had in Chicago,” Rick continued, “We get to associate with anybody we want to. We get to take on any task we want to.” Sharon laughed, “And, say no!”

Career: Brunswick’s Newest City Commissioner
Hometown: Brunswick, Ga

Why did you run for City Commissioner? I wanted each resident of the City of Brunswick to have a strong foundation from which to thrive. I also felt that Millennials deserved to have a seat at the table where decisions were being made.

What do you love about Brunswick?
One thing for sure is that I never feel alone here. Brunswick is home. I have beautiful childhood memories here. The people in my city are what makes it such a special place to live.

When Darien innkeeper JoAnn Viera was featured just over nine years ago in the pages of Paisley, she had made the life-changing decision to leave a high-pressure career in New England to renovate and open a bed and breakfast on the Darien riverfront. While she continues to run the Darien Waterfront Inn, three years ago she took another leap of faith when she left the inn’s original location behind and built a new inn six blocks away.

Four years ago, Taylor Parsons made a life-changing decision. After several years of substance abuse and trips to jail and rehab, the court gave her a simple choice: Prison or Grace House. She had never been to Brunswick. She’d been living in southwest Georgia for almost seven years. She’d tried rehab before, but something about that stark choice made her decide to give the Coastal Georgia halfway house a chance.

“My life before Grace House was so dark and depressing,” Taylor explained, “I was so miserable.” She was ready to make a change when the judge gave her that choice. “It was to the point where I was like, ‘I need to either make a change or die. I can’t do this anymore,’” she added. She didn’t want to die, but she knew she couldn’t keep living the life she felt trapped in. “I owe a lot of it to God. It’s not something I could just do on my own. I had tried tons of times… I had to just give up… let go and let God.”

Occupation: Founder, Head Cheerleader at 2nd Story Goods, Author, Painfully Honest: The Tale of a Recovering Helper

Hometown: Golden Isles

Tell us about your career:
  Originally from Atlanta, I’ve spent a good portion of my life working with people who find themselves in the margins of society. I find myself drawn to the edges.

After college my husband and I moved to Vancouver Island. He was a Pastor in a local church.  We spent some years living in community and experienced the great highs and heart wrenching lows of trying to help people in desperate situations.  We brought homeless people into our house, in hopes of restoring them to health, often to see them leave within hours or days. We spent countless hours counseling others, hoping to convince them of God’s great love for them and their own great beauty and worth.

Occupation: Executive Director at Glynn Community Crisis Center/Amity House, Brunswick, GA    

Hometown: Augusta, GA

Volunteer/Community Work:
My volunteer and community work interests center around women’s empowerment, health and well-being; animal welfare; and our church home in Michigan. (I took a 30-year detour in Battle Creek, where I met the love of my life.)  

Tell us about your career:
Fairly early in my career I learned I needed to feel my work made a difference and was a meaningful contribution to my community. I started in the for-profit sector, working in human resources for a life insurance company. Before long, I moved into the non-profit world, working for the Humane Society of South-Central Michigan, The Woman’s Co-op, and several other Michigan non-profits. When we moved to St. Simons Island in 2009, I worked briefly in for-profit again, but had to get back to my difference-making journey. Serving as Executive Director of Glynn Community Crisis Center for the past five years has enriched this journey in so many ways. In spring of 2022, Amity House will become a pet-friendly domestic violence shelter, fulfilling one of my dreams! 

Occupation: (Retired) Regional Manager, State of Georgia

Hometown: Born in Savannah, Ga., resided in Jacksonville, Florida, but has lived on Saint Simons Island for the last 17 years

Volunteer/Community Work:
I have always been involved in the communities where I resided. I served on statewide committees and am a graduate of Leadership Georgia. I am currently President of the Brunswick (GA) Chapter of the Links Incorporated. Our organization is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations. Locally, we have 31 members and serve Camden, Glynn and McIntosh counties. We continue to partner and engage with like-minded organizations and individuals who share our vision. This past year has been challenging as we shifted our paradigm into the virtual world of Zoom due to Covid-19. But even with that, we didn’t slow down our efforts, and we continued to excel in supporting our programs within the communities.

Volunteer/Community Work:
Organizations in which I’ve recently volunteered are LB B4& After, Save Our Youth Savannah, Mount Moriah # 37 Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star, Omar court #91, Daughters of the Imperial Court

Tell us about your career:
Nursing was not my first career choice. Initially, I wanted to be a forensic pathologist well before shows such as CSI. I never wanted to be a nurse because I saw it as following in my mother and grandmother’s footsteps. Fast forward, I changed my mind and chose nursing (or maybe nursing chose me). A friend always felt that I would be great at it, as she felt I was compassionate and had a knack for caring for others. I received my Associate’s Degree in Nursing from what is now The College of Coastal Georgia. I got my B.S. in Nursing from Georgia Southern University, Savannah Campus. Once in the field of nursing, I found my true calling. I worked in the hospital setting for 11 years and transitioned into my new profession as a nurse practitioner about five years ago. My Master’s and Doctor of Nursing degrees are from South University. I currently work at Coastal Community Health Services, a federally qualified health center which provides primary care among other services to the indigent and underserved in the McIntosh and Glynn County areas. My career has been challenging, but most of all very rewarding.

Growing up in Greenville, SC, just 30 minutes from the school, Angie Aimar knew that Clemson was the only college she wanted to go to. “If I hadn’t gotten in there, I would have gone to technical school instead,” she said. But, she did get in, and she started her computer science studies in 1980. Karen Summers Welsh went to high school in Spartanburg, SC, and she also only applied to Clemson. Her father was a Georgia Tech alum and would take her to the games. When she was in the tenth grade, she looked over at the Clemson student section at one of the games in Atlanta, and said, “They look like they’re having fun!” Decision made. She was also a freshman in 1980, majoring in horticulture.

Brandi Lyde Whitfield and Latasha Rozier graduated Brunswick High just a few years apart, but they didn’t become friends until several years after high school. “She was a senior when I was a freshman, and she was too stuck up then to be my friend,” laughs Brandi. Latasha counters, “Why would I talk to a freshman? I had plenty of friends in my own class.” Let me tell you, chatting with these two is an experience! So much laughter!

Sitting around Latasha’s insurance office with them, their clever banter and ease in each other’s presence belies an awkward beginning. About 13 years ago, not long after Brandi began working full-time in the insurance industry, a mutual friend suggested she get to know Latasha, who was just entering the field. Maybe because of that professional connection, their first few lunches together were incredibly awkward. Once they decided to drop that veneer and get real with each other, the fun really started!

Teacher at Glynn Academy (GA) and Founder of Glynn Academy’s Terror Buddies
Brunswick, GA

When and why did you start Terror Buddies?
We started Terror Buddies in 2014. I became aware of Glynn County’s Buddy Ball program and thought that bringing the concept of pairing students with special needs with typical students in the school environment would be great. At the time, we had just short of 30 students with special needs. We were hoping to get 30 typical students so everyone would have a new friend. Even that first year our Glynn Academy students rose to the occasion. We had over 90 students sign up to be a part of Terror Buddies. We have never had fewer than 100 students every year after that.

In August 2008, Janet Hendricks was enjoying an active life in Austin, Texas. “I ate healthy. I wasn’t overweight and have never been so. I was so rarely sick; I hadn’t been to a doctor in years,” she said. That all changed in a heartbeat.

“I was just hanging out at home, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe,” said Hendricks, who now lives in Brunswick. She ended up in the ER where she was initially told she was probably having anxiety because her oxygen levels tested normal. However, her blood work showed something far worse. “Not only was I having severe respiratory problems, but I was also in advanced heart failure. At the age of 48, I was told I needed a heart transplant!”

Those of us living along Georgia’s 100 miles of beautiful coastline may sometimes take our gorgeous surroundings for granted. Fortunately, there is a team of women working every day to protect our area’s incredibly diverse environment. From lobbying in Atlanta and Washington D.C. to educating individuals on small steps they can take, the staff of One Hundred Miles never stops fighting for a future when our coast has thriving communities, protected landscapes and secure wildlife. Meet Megan Desrosiers and the staff of One Hundred Miles…

When officials with the City of Brunswick reached out to Regina McDuffie about taking the City Manager position in 2020 after former City Manager Jim Drumm resigned, she really wasn’t looking to make a move from her long-time position as Macon County Manager.

“I wasn’t really looking (to make a move) but had been ‘fishing’ to see what was out there. You don’t want to ‘catch’ something that you want to throw back. I was surprised when I got the call,” says the native of Macon, GA, whose husband works as an aerospace engineer at Gulfstream in Savannah. The unique opportunities the job offered were too much to resist, and Regina took on the new position in March 2020, making her the first woman to be permanently appointed to the job.

How old were you when you became a certified cleanup site leader for Keep Golden Isles Beautiful? What made you want to do it?
I was 8 years old when I became a certified site leader and lead my first clean-up at the Sydney Lanier Park. I did it because I wanted to make the world a better place, and I knew it started with me. I have a huge passion for taking care of our sea life. It is so much fun to spend hours in the marsh finding debris. It is like a treasure hunt, you never know what you might find or how big of an impact you can make with just a couple of hours of your time. I always set goals for myself to see how much trash I can find. My last clean-up goal was to find at least five tires and by the end of the clean-up, we had found more than 10. Plus, I like to find items during my clean-up to use in my recycled art.

Southern Soul Barbecue has been in the news for a variety of reasons for more than a decade. Generally, the faces of the business are its founders, Harrison Sapp and Griffin Bufkin, but there is a woman behind the scenes who has been instrumental in the success of this St. Simons Island icon. Kitty Sapp has supported her husband’s love for barbecue from the beginning and is now an integral part of the business.

We sat down in the cozy office she shares with Harrison in the building behind Southern Soul. In addition to managing the front of house and merchandising for the restaurant, Kitty handles the bulk of the property management duties for the office building, which also has two tenants. “I like to stay busy,” she laughed. Did I mention Kitty is also treasurer and a board member for The Firebox Initiative? More on that later.

What brought you to Coastal Georgia? My first job out of vet school with Dr. Rossiter brought us here. After having gone to school on a Caribbean island, I knew I had to be near the water. My husband and I both grew up in St Mary’s County, Maryland, and I was born in Bethlehem, PA. As it turned out, my husband actually spent a year or two here way back when and had gone to St Simons Elementary when his dad was stationed in Brunswick.

What was it like going to school in St. Kitts?  Attending Ross University on St. Kitts was the most incredible time of my life. Besides acquiring an invaluable veterinary education from instructors and professors from around the world, I was given a personal life-changing education. I left family, friends and a lifestyle I was used to and entered into a culture and society that was completely foreign to me. When I first arrived, I was so scared and never felt more alone. By the time my two years were completed, I was crying while boarding that American Airline flight back to the US for my clinicals at Oklahoma State University. I was leaving a place that enabled me to find myself and knowing what I was actually capable of becoming—a very strong woman. I experienced many different events that have made me who I am today, and so, besides my veterinary education, more importantly for me was my personal growth. I have never regretted Ross University/St. Kitts being my first choice for veterinary school.

According to Debbie Purvis, her now 27-year-old daughter Ashleigh doesn’t let the challenges of living with Down Syndrome stop her from a full, active life. “I think Ashleigh is living her best life,” she said, as Ashleigh smiled and nodded in agreement.

Debbie and her husband Steve already had a son, Corey, when Ashleigh arrived. “We had no idea that she had Down Syndrome until she was born,” said Debbie, a longtime local registered nurse. “I had all the testing, but everything came back negative. She was also born with a heart defect, which is very common in children with Downs, and that wasn’t detected either until after her birth.”

Annie Akins is a professional singer who performs all over the Golden Isles. In fact, when we sat down to talk, she had just finished 13 gigs in 13 days. After resting the previous day, she was off to another one that very afternoon! She has been making a living as a performer her entire adult life. Annie knew at an early age that she was destined to be in front of an audience. “I really thought I was going to be an actress,” she said, “but I’m delighted with my choice and career.”

How did Hope 1312 Collective get its name?
Proverbs 13:12 says: “When hope is deferred it makes hearts sick.” This had been my experience serving children in hard places in and around the child welfare system. The lack of change and healing in those I was serving was making my heart sick, as well, but the verse continues: “but when longings are fulfilled there is a tree of life.” This spoke to me about all that could be if the resources of the church and community were connected with the actual needs of children in hard places. Trajectory shifts, broken generational cycles and hope fulfilled were still possible, and so our collective efforts were launched!

When did you first know you wanted to help children?
As a child, though I had a beautiful life from the surface, I often found myself feeling hopeless and voiceless. This experience connected me with other hurting children at a pretty young age, and God granted me perspective that I wouldn’t trade for anything!

Accomplished St. Simons pianist Michele Jamieson not only fell in love with music at a young age, her passion for song also played an integral part in meeting the man that would become her husband. Playing music together continues as one of the strong bonds she shares with the couple’s four children.
“I started (playing the piano) at age 5. As typical of many Asian households,” she laughed, “there was a piano in our home, so it was assumed I would take lessons. But I loved it; I really loved it. I am going to be 50 this year, so I’ve loved playing the piano for 45 years.”

Michele’s parents, Manuel and Cleopatra Fontanilla, came to the United States from the Philippines and settled in Virginia, where they raised Michele and her brothers Michael and Richard. After high school, she attended the University of Virginia, majoring in biology. While there, she met a fellow student, Timothy Jamieson. “When I met him, he was learning to play piano when he was working on his Ph.D, and that was part of the initial attraction,” she said with a smile. “I thought at first: ‘Is this a pick-up line? Is this for real?’ And it was real. He was learning to play a Chopin concerto, and I thought, ‘this is really cool.’”

This month, our theme is #MamaBear. You are currently on a tough journey trying to become a mama bear, as you wrap up your first In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. Why have you decided to share your IVF journey?
Infertility affects so many people. One in eight couples experience infertility, which means someone in your life has struggled, and you may or may not be aware. By speaking out, I hope I can make a difference with infertility awareness, somehow, some way. Whether the difference is in helping someone not feel alone during their own infertility struggles, or just putting information out that can help people understand infertility a bit more. Either way, in my heart it feels right, and I actually feel lighter in speaking my truth and sharing this very personal experience.

On the morning of January 6, 2020, the “Office Girls” received a text from Regina Banis that said, “Jake’s dead.”

It was the exact moment Regina discovered her 23-year-old son, Jake, had died from an accidental drug overdose that divided eternity in two. Everything before that precise second was experienced BJD (before Jake died), and everything that followed—every breath, every thought, every sound, every smell, Every. Single. Thing.—passes through a filter of grief labeled AJD (after Jake died). Just that quickly life goes from being experienced to being endured.

Avid runner and race director of this year’s Sunshine Festival 5K and 1-mile fun run, Lesley Leonard didn’t start running seriously until after college. Once she got hooked on the sport, there was no turning back.

“I was the little girl who hated P.E. and much preferred to be in the library, reading books,” said the St. Simons Island resident and member of the Golden Isles Track Club. “I didn’t run until I was in college, and only as a part of my P.E. requirements.”

We are proud to introduce this trio of strong local women working, and now “playing,” as well, at the game of life here in Coastal Georgia. Yes, we have the stats on three high school athletic coaches from McIntosh County Academy, Glynn Academy and Brunswick High School. We thank their school guidance counselors for connecting us with leaders who excel in encouraging, energizing and engaging their teams. These lady coaches provide guidance, accountability, and discipline—and of course, always give of themselves 110 percent!

Growing up spending her summers at the Jersey Shore, Rachael Thompson developed an early love of the ocean.That love would ultimately lead her to the Golden Isles, where she is now the executive director of the Glynn Environmental Coalition (GEC), an organization that educates and advocates for a safe, clean environment and healthy economy for the people of Coastal Georgia.

“I grew up in South Brunswick, New Jersey, an hour from New York City, and only 45 minutes to the closest beach. My step-grandparents lived at the beach in Avalon, New Jersey, and we visited them every summer.” Rachael’s family had a small camper set up in a campground that shares a name with a Golden Isles landmark. “We stayed at Driftwood Campground,” she smiled. “So not only did I grow up in South Brunswick, I also spent summers at Driftwood—two parallels between my childhood and now.”

What was your very first adventure?
Growing up in Northwest Wisconsin we were outside all the time. A trip we often took as a family was a canoe trip up in the Boundary Water Canoe Area (BWCA) in Ontario, Canada. We would first find our way to our cabin, which could only be accessed by snowmobile, 4-wheeler, or boat. The cabin used a generator for electricity, and of course, the bathroom was an outhouse—not exactly glamping. We would pack the canoe and our hiking packs for a few days and take off. We would canoe and portage from lake to lake and camp overnight—rain or shine!