The political partisanship in Florida is pretty stark these days. However, the career of John P. “Jack” Seiler is a reminder that wasn’t always the case.
Seiler, who is featured on this month’s cover, served a key role as a fiscally conservative Democrat during his time in the Florida statehouse. Some people thought he was a Republican. He was a ranking member on the policy and budget committee and crossed the aisles to work with now U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and then-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist.
He differs from the GOP on some social issues, such as those surrounding the members of the LGBTQ community. As mayor of Wilton Manors, he welcomed his diverse neighbors.
One of the things I found interesting when interviewing Seiler is his concern that both parties’ primaries are dominated by the 15 percent at the extreme end, the ultra-conservatives and the ultra-liberals. That leads to the question of who is representing those of us who make up the 70 percent in the middle.
Let me know if you can answer that one.
An introduction
I would like to introduce myself as the new group editor for Lifestyle and its sister publication, South Florida Business and Wealth. Those with long memories may remember me as editor of Lifestyle for a short time before becoming the founding editor of SFBW.
I worked with Kevin Kaminsky and I wish he was still here to write his monthly Lifestyle column. Many of us are still struggling to accept he isn’t here anymore. He was the consummate magazine editor and an all-around great guy.
I had already started freelancing for Lifestyle as KK experienced health issues. Recently, Drew Limsky left SFBW as editor and some people said some nice things about me, so Brandi Gangel, VP and operations officer of Babcox Media, reached out to me to help out with the editing.
Her enthusiasm and smarts are contagious. I had the opportunity this week to meet Bill Babcox, the CEO and owner of Babcox Media. He is a man of great integrity and success. In the topsy-turvy world of media companies, Lifestyle Media Group is in great hands.
I appreciate the support of Brandi, Bill, our very talented LMG staff members and the community in general as I embark on this journey. I think big things are ahead.
Of course, as an editor, I always say our success starts with our readers. All of you – no matter which side of the aisle you think has the best view – thank you for reading Lifestyle!
