Ray Chehata
Founder and CEO
Ray Chehata is chairman/CEO of Chehata Family Holdings and owner of Lifestyle Media Group (Lifestyle, SFBW, LUXE and Charitable), as well as a seasoned entrepreneur and dealmaker with a track record of growing and transforming companies across a wide range of industries.
Through Chehata Family Holdings, his portfolio includes H2GO FLA, servicing Dade-Broward-Palm County in the bulk water industry; Tri-County Sweeping Services, servicing Florida with over 200 employees with Hubs in Davie, Port-St-Lucie, Lakeland, Fort Myers, and Naples; and MM Distribution, a nationwide distributor of auto parts and janitorial supplies.
Chehata’s career spans banking, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, manufacturing, automotive, and cybersecurity. He has led growth and successful transactions at Above Security, Laboval, Tutti Frutti Canada, T-Rex Canada, and Styx Intelligence.
Active in the South Florida community, Chehata serves on several boards (NSU, Winterfest, JA of South Florida, & EAFL) and advisory groups and is committed to mentoring young entrepreneurs and supporting youth programs through many non-profits.
Gary Press
Chairman of the Board
A visionary entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in advertising, marketing, publishing, and finance, Gary Press serves as Chairman of the Board of Lifestyle Media Group.
Beyond Publishing, Press has successfully launched and sold financial and marketing solution companies, demonstrating his ability to create and grow revenue-driven enterprises. A dedicated community leader, he actively supports local nonprofits, educational initiatives, and chambers of commerce.
Melanie Geronemus Smit
Creative Director – Lifestyle Media Group
Melanie is an award-winning creative director at Lifestyle Media Group, where she designs and produces multiple magazines per month. The native Floridian has spent more than 24 years in the creative field, the past 13 with Lifestyle Media Group. Melanie takes projects from conception through completion and works with clients from businesses of all types and develops strategies for creating high-impact visual experiences. Prior to employment at Lifestyle Media Group, Melanie worked for Harris Drury and Cohen, J. Walter Thompson, and the South Florida Business Journal.
Michelle Simon
Publisher – Lifestyle Media Group
Michelle spent 26 years at the Sun-Sentinel in production, sales and management. She created, and as Publisher, launched both City & Shore and Shalom Today award-winning magazines. In 2013, she joined Lifestyle Media Group as Publisher of all six city titles. During those years, Michelle produced record sales results and unique advertiser events. As a community leader, she has served on many organizations’ boards and committees…making a difference in South Florida.
Laine Doss
Editor in Chief – Lifestyle Media Group
Laine Doss has more than two decades of writing about what makes South Florida a unique and wonderful place to live and work.
An award-winning writer, Laine is the former food editor of Miami New Times and editor of Broken Palate. She has contributed to dozens of other publications. Her scope of coverage includes food, culture, travel, lifestyle, and business, with a knack for blending service journalism with narrative storytelling.
Her book of New York-themed cocktails is scheduled to be released in January 2027. Laine lives in Hollywood with her rescue dogs, Luna and Dora.
Clarissa Buch Zilberman
Associate Editor
Clarissa Buch Zilberman has spent more than a decade covering South Florida and the world beyond it. She has contributed more than 3,000 pieces to leading international media companies across print and digital, and previously served as the youngest restaurant critic for Miami New Times. Her work spans lifestyle, dining, business, and culture, reflecting the same breadth of curiosity she brings to her editorial leadership today.
Jesse Scott
Contributor / Writer
Jesse Scott is a Fort Lauderdale-based contributor for Lifestyle Media Group covering business and culture, bringing readers stories stemming from across South Florida. A Fredericksburg, Virginia native, he also contributes regularly to Forbes Travel Guide, Travel + Leisure, Thrillist, Eater and Lonely Planet. Through the years, his work has also appeared in USA Today, National Geographic, BBC, Outside and Fodor’s, among dozens of other publications. Scott has interviewed hundreds of cultural icons, including Dolly Parton, Ben Stiller, Metallica, Tom Brady and Andre Agassi, and has authored or contributed to Lonely Planet guidebooks on Florida, Panama, the U.S., Best in Travel and Dream Trips of the World. Locally, he is the co-founder and editor of Browardist and THE WEEKLY 954.
Art Directors
Alexander Hernandez
Evelyn Suarez
Advertising Marketing Directors
Anne Nebanzahl
Steve Lederman
Ben Hamilton
Kim Sarni
Operations Manager
Monica St. Omer