An expertly curated, luxuriously produced compendium of all things Naples, Naples Illustrated brings to life personalities and takes you inside the exclusive homes, parties and interests of the world’s most affluent and influential people.
SHELLY STAYER CHAIRWOMAN Johnsonville Foods, president/co-owner VICKI BAKER UBS Private Wealth Management, executive team assistant CHAD JENSEN Method & Concept, CEO/creative director SHAWN MCCONNELL NCH Healthcare, marketing and communications director BRENDA MELTON Celebrity Martini Glass Auction, founder ASHLEY DEWJI J.P. Morgan, vice president and private banker CLAUDINE LEGER-WETZEL Stock Development, vice president, sales and marketing DONNA MCGINNIS Naples Botanical Garden, president and CEO MICHAEL WYNN Sunshine Ace Hardware, president…
I am both honored and humbled to serve as editor in chief as Naples Illustrated commemorates its twenty-fifth anniversary with this issue. While every edition of our magazine heralds the luxe and lavish within our community and beyond, this issue is distinct and serves as a substantial celebratory marker. A silver jubilee is a momentous one, and we appreciate everyone who has helped make this publication what it is today. I’d like to extend a special thanks to our readers, however. You are our lifeblood, and we appreciate your support, especially those of you who’ve been flipping NI’s pages across the years. The image glowing on this issue’s cover was inspired by NI’s very first edition. We attempted to re-create the original cover, adding a modern edge with the help…
Twenty-five years! We at Naples Illustrated are thrilled to be celebrating this landmark year with all the wonderful people who have contributed to this beautiful publication over the years, including our dedicated readers. You are the driving force making this magazine so special. And this issue, which celebrates and commemorates our silver anniversary, is dedicated to each one of you. Our very first issue premiered in January/February 1998, about the same time I started my first job out of college. I was an editor for a media relations company in Boston, where I put together press releases. I loved everything about the media industry—from telling the stories to breaking the news. I even enjoyed the tight deadlines. It’s amazing to see what’s evolved over the last quarter of a century…
OPENING NIGHT WHAT: A post-show reception with the cast and crew of Steel Magnolias WHERE: Norris Center, Naples DETAILS: Gulfshore Playhouse presented the opening night of its first production of the 2022-23 season. MEDIA SPONSOR: Naples Illustrated LUNCH AND FASHION SHOW WHAT: Baby Basics Fifteenth Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show WHERE: A local Naples country club DETAILS: More than $80,000 was raised for Baby Basics of Collier County at a luncheon featuring a Prosecco reception, pop-up shopping, lunch, and a runway fashion show. GOLF TOURNAMENT AND FUNDRAISER WHAT: Seventh Annual Home Base Golf Tournament and Fundraiser WHERE: Pelican’s Nest Golf Club at Pelican Landing, Bonita Springs DETAILS: Three generals were in attendance to help raise money for mental health services and programs for the veterans of Southwest Florida suffering with post-traumatic stress…
“Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics.” These sagacious words from the late Emily Post, a well-known authority on etiquette, denote her perspectives on social conducts that abandon the trivial and exclusionary. For her, etiquette should never be used to judge; it’s a tool to show respect, inclusivity, and consideration. While Post passed away more than 60 years ago, her spirit lives on with The Emily Post Institute, a fifth-generation family business that—to this day—advances her altruistic precepts on etiquette. Recently, her great-great granddaughter, Lizzie Post, collaborated with Daniel Post Senning, who is Lizzie’s cousin and Emily’s great-great grandson, to bring forth Emily Post’s Etiquette: The Centennial Edition. Weighing in as one of the largest existing…
You don’t have to travel far for an audience with eyes glued to a business celebrity—all you need is an invitation to one of the exclusive NextGen Speaker Series events in Naples. In 2013, Michael Benson established the special speaker series in Southwest Florida after realizing his staff could benefit from hearing directly from successful businesspeople. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Benson attended Miami University (in Ohio); he started his career in Cleveland in the insurance business, working with Home Life for 10 years. He then launched an independent insurance consultancy company—Benson Blackburn. As the company grew to a national one with a mission to help families preserve and protect wealth, Benson found himself on airplanes 17 days a month to meet with clients. Wanting to mitigate the continual…
