This year, Stephanie Sims Hale represented Apollo’s Mystic Ladies as the organization’s Queen for its Silver Jubilee. Stephanie has been a dedicated member of AML for 17 years. She and her husband, Mike, have been married for 32 years and raised three children—Holley,...
In June 2022, my life took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. By January 2023, I was in remission, but the journey to get there was tough. Throughout it all, I learned the importance of being your own advocate. For anyone newly diagnosed, I...
Kendall Wahlert is devoted to faith, family, and a love for real estate. Born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, she met her husband, Ricky, in Mrs. Bryant's 6th-grade class. After college, the childhood friends began dating, setting the foundation for a life filled...
Finding Home by Giving Back Growing up in the heart of South Louisiana, I learned a strong sense of community from watching my mom volunteer and my dad serve as a judge. After graduating from the University of Richmond, I decided to stay in Virginia, where I began my...
Being a working mom is one of the most challenging yet rewarding roles I have. I often feel like I can't give 100% to both my career and my family, but I've learned to give myself grace and remember that I'm doing the best I can. My husband, Butch, is the head boys'...
For Matt Yawn and Trey Simms coaching the boys on the Daphne Middle School soccer team is about much more than the score of the game. Matt has always believed that being a good father and mentor means more than just providing for his family. It's about building...
-Liesel Schmidt As the CFO at the Hope Farm in Fairhope, Lauren Lanefski is part of a team whose sole focus is creating a space for guests to gather and experience something that will become a memory. Events and milestones happen within its walls and on its...
-Liesel Schmidt As the owner of a public relations and marketing company that works with many small businesses in coastal Alabama, Marissa Thetford has her hands on a wide range of projects at any given time. “I provide marketing, public relations, and branding...
- Charlene HaberLove, Joy & The Spirit of GivingPhoto Credit: Cindy McCrory, Blue Room PhotographyChristmas has always held a special place in my heart, and even after 29 years without her, it's a season where I feel my mother's presence all around. One...
The Bag Lady: Mary Beth Greene -Liesel Schmidt The very best entrepreneurs are able to identify a need in the market and fill it in a way that no one else has—and for Alabama native Mary Beth Greene, that meant creating simple, functional travel wares that were...
SuperMom: Nancy Grace -Liesel Schmidt As Vice President and residential construction lender for BankPlus, a full-service regional bank along the Gulf Coast, Nancy Grace has a busy work schedule—and that business doesn’t take a break when she closes the door to her...
PYSK: Lynn Biles -Liesel Schmidt After marrying a lawyer in 1978, the law became a big part of Lynn Biles’ life—if only through her husband’s work and the conversation he brought home. But it became even more central when Biles had her second child in 1982 and she...