As Publisher and Creative Director, Michael is the leader of this band of rebels encamped in The South's headquarters. Dumbstruck by the richness and vitality of the culture here, he moved to Savannah in 2005 with a mission: He would set about creating the ultimate guide to the people, places and happenings that form the unique fabric of modern southern life. Today, that idea has taken life through the pages of The South. In only its first year of publication, the magazine has captured a strong and growing audience, doubling subscriptions and quadrupling newsstand sales since its inception. Of course, the seeds of this success were planted during the 90's as Michael followed a determined journey from Ringling School of Art and Design graduate to freelance graphic designer to publisher of the award-winning Albany magazine based in his hometown of Albany, GA. Albany's success brought Michael recognition, landing him a chair on the board of the Magazine Association of Georgia from 2000-2003 and numerous professional opportunities. Happily, he and his wife Frankie followed their hearts right to The South. You can e-mail Michael at mb@thesouthmag.com

Carrie Johnson is a cynical Southern Belle who was born in Memphis and has lived dangerously in various cities throughout the Deep South, including Charlotte, North Carolina and the aptly named Jupiter, Florida. She studied Film & Video at Columbia College Chicago, where she promptly realized she was much better at writing about entertainment than creating it; this sentiment doesn’t, however, extend to her zesty karaoke renditions and often-perplexing fashion decisions. Her stay in Chicago was interrupted by the subliminal lull of the South that appeared in the form of gale force winds and sub-zero snowdrifts, and she retreated to Savannah to focus on writing and leisurely living. In her four years here, she has worked for the Savannah Morning News and SavannahNOW as an Online Content Producer and freelance writer, designed and programmed websites for an array of local businesses, and co-founded Savannah’s first roller derby league, the Savannah Derby Devils. She now considers The South her home, and hopes to spread her joie de vivre across the pages of the magazine. She can be reached at this email.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Neelum decided to leave the cold weather and venture South. She first went to school in Long Island, New York on a softball scholarship and had her first training in Graphic Design. Since she realized that even though New York was South from Ottawa, it still was not the South that she was expecting! The combination of Savannah being such a beautiful city, and SCAD was too good to refuse. She earned her BFA in Graphic Design in 2005 and then wanted to try her hand at a bigger city. Spending 3 years in Atlanta working at a local magazine, she decided to pack up her Yorkie, Charlie Brown, and see what Savannah really had to offer.

Account Manager Kristine Ireland Compton joined The South magazine in 2006 after working in Public Relations, Sales, and Advertising for such well-known companies as Baltimore Magazine, Schooner America, and Savannah Morning News. An admitted horse lover, Kristine also owned Sandhill Stables just outside of Savannah. A graduate of Towson University in Maryland she began her advertising career with Patuxant Publishing for thirteen weekly newspapers. Kristine loves Savannahs living history and the cities vision for the future as well as its commitment to the past. Contact Kristine at kristine@thesouthmag.com

Laura is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan and a Mid-Westerner at heart, though life has taken her other places. She spent a year studying Literature and Medical History at Oxford University, and recently graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York with a degree in Creative Writing. The desire for change provoked Laura to move to Savannah in search of fair weather, friendly people and a slower pace of life. When not working and breaking editorial ground she enjoys reading the Southern Gothic greats, University of Michigan football, eating lots of food and traveling as much as possible.

Part of being successful at sales is being personable and appealing to your clients. This seems to come easy to Cheri as she has been Little Miss Savannah, Jr. Miss Savannah, Jr. Miss Georgia, Teen Miss Savannah, Miss Georgia Teen USA and Miss Calvary High School. At only 27 years old, this native Savannahian has been seen modeling for companies such as Venus Swimwear, Bluesky Swimwear, Rich’s, Hot Boat Magazine, and Tail-Gunner. She has also spent many hours volunteering for organizations like American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association, Alee Temple, the Special Olympics, and the Summer Lunch Program. She graduated from Calvary Baptist High School in 1998 and is finishing up her bachelors degree even now. When not pedaling The South, Cheri can be found on the beach of Tybee Island or working out at Downtown Athletic Club.

Stan Gray is a man of diverse talents and experiences. He served in the U.S. Army for 22 years: as a combat engineer with the 82nd Airborne Division, terrain intelligence specialist in Germany, an Assistant Commandant of Cadets at the Virginia Military Institute, and then later as a Chinese language instructor and program head at West Point. Retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1994, Stan directed the science training programs and conferences of The Nature Conservancy and then NatureServe for 11 years. Following in the footsteps of sons Colin (renowned local freelance photographer) and Jordan (coastal GA’s diamondback terrapin expert extraordinaire), Stan and his wife Kate moved to Savannah in late 2005. Shortly thereafter he signed on with The South magazine as Circulation Manager. When not distributing magazines and soliciting new clients, Stan enjoys birding and even finds time to manage his 380-variety display of tall-bearded iris recently transplanted from New Jersey to the Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens. Stan is a 1972 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and holds a M.A. in Asian Studies-China from Seton Hall University. Born and raised in northern New Jersey, he and his wife now make their home on Skidaway Island. Stan can be emailed at graysirisgarden@comcast.net or stan@thesouthmag.com.

As the most published pooch in the South, Mongo, a bull terrier, is a great metaphor for The South magazine; well built, strong, symmetrical and active. Professionally he serves as the muse of the magazine often spending long hours patrolling the offices of TSM. To contact Mongo you can email mb@thesouthmag.com