Joanne, a native of New Orleans, has nearly 27 years of advertising, marketing and public relations experience. She holds a BA in psychology and an MBA with a specialty in marketing, and has an extensive background in strategic planning and business development. She also has in-depth experience in primary and secondary research and analysis, public relations, and special event planning.

Joanne is very active in her community, serving on various boards including the Leadership St.Tammany Trustee Board and Covington Three Rivers Art Festival. She was one of the founders of the St. Tammany Leadership Program and has also served on the boards of the St. Tammany West Chamber, Northshore Advertising Federation, St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation and Covington Business & Professional Women. In 2001, she was named a CityBusiness Woman of the Year.

Contact: Phone 985-893-7350
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Sarah brings more than 14 years of publishing experience to Sophisticated Woman Magazine. With a concentration on niche publications such as Where magazine, Jefferson Parish Visitors Guide, Fine Food Digest and Louisiana Homes and Gardens, Sarah has a knack for tapping into diverse audience segments to increase both advertising sales and readership.

She was born and reared in England and later moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to study art at UCLA. Sarah remained in Tinsel Town, serving as a personal assistant to such celebrities as Mick Jagger, Ivan Reitman and Brandon Tartikoff until meeting her husband, Jerry (a St. Tammany native), and moving to the Northshore. They have one son, Colin, who is 13 years old.

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With over 30 years ­experience in art direction and graphic design, Cheryl has experienced the technological revolution from sketchpad to laptop first hand. She is ­responsible for making the conceptual advertising strategy a reality, and she leads a vibrant and creative art department of top-notch professionals. In addition to holding a degree in Advertising and Design from the Art Institute of Atlanta, Cheryl has received numerous industry awards for her work, including Best of Show for the New Orleans Addys.

Cheryl is happily married and mother of two children.

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Mara’s professional background is in freelance writing and research, public relations, and advertising. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Communications/Journalism and a M.A.L.S. from Hollins University.

Mara grew up a Marine Corp brat and still loves to travel and meet new people. She likes to garden, make various things with old wood and hardware and live near the water. She is the personal chauffeur to Anna (15), Joel (12) and Ben (9) . 

Mara loves animals and would have more rescues if she could sneak them past her husband, Tom. For the moment, she is holding steady with two dogs, Lola and Tootsie and two cats, Maggie and Cooper. 

Contact: 985-893-7350

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A native of Louisiana, Gwen received her education from the University of New Orleans and has called Mandeville home for the past 15 years. Gwen has been employed with Sophisticated Woman Magazine for over 13 years. She is committed to her sales career and enjoys the lasting relationship she has had with all of her clients.

She has been happily married to Jerry for the past 46 years and enjoys spending time with their one son, Chris, daughter-in-law Kelly and their grandchildren, Chase (16) and Cole (15). On her time off, she also enjoys all sports, boating, spending time on the beach and traveling.

Contact: 985-327-1003
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Laura Zammit is an Account Executive with a diverse background in Marketing and Promotions, Business Technology and Community Outreach. She is inspired to help others achieve their business goals and works diligently to make sure her clients receive the best value.
 
Laura graduated from the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor’s degree in Business. She is a mother of two lovely daughters and enjoys kayaking, biking and running in her free time.

Contact: 985-327-1005
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Anna is a lifelong resident of Covington and a recent graduate of LSU with a degree in Leadership and Society with minors in History, Political Science, and Leadership Development. She loves the art and culture of the Northshore and designs and creates her own jewelry line. Anna enjoys exercising, the occasional manicure and decorating her apartment. She lives with her cats and a Shih Tzu named Debris.

Contact: 985-327-1015

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Melissa, or Mel, as we affectionately call her, brings her wit and energy to our team. A self-proclaimed “flower child,” she maintains peace and harmony within our traffic system. Mel credits the successful management of deadlines to patience, persistence and a bit of bullying!

“I can utilize my experience in journalism and marketing while working in a creative environment where every day is different. I was probably a circus juggler in a past life”, she laughs.

Melissa and Joey are parents to two active boys.

Contact Phone 985-893-7350
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Claire Thomas is a lifelong creative with extensive graphic design and photography experience. She specializes in print design and photography. Claire especially likes incorporating her photographs of plants, birds, events and portraits into her print and fabric design. Her love of native plants and the outdoors led her to become a St. Tammany Parish Master Gardener and contributor to the Lab Of Ornithology's Citizen Science Projects including eBird, Great Backyard Bird Count & Project FeederWatch. Claire is also a former board member for the New Orleans chapter of the AIGA.

She is a mother of two grown children and is happy to be back in the work world after being a stay-at-home mom while her kids were in school.

Contact Phone 985-893-7350
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For over a decade, Julie has done award-winning graphic and web design for companies around the country, making her the go-to person for design and web production. Julie’s impeccable eye for color and composition, combined with the technical knowledge to streamline website design and functionality are a tremendous asset to the creative team. A native New Orleanian, her experience includes working with organizations such as the New Orleans Zephyrs, NewOrleans.com, Offbeat magazine, New Orleans magazine and The Sunshine Pages, among others.

Julie is the mother of Luke, a happy, bouncy five-year old.

Contact: Phone 985-893-7350
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Patty Beal, our fashion guru and editor of one of our readers’ favorites, Editor’s Picks. Each month, Patty will put together tips and browse the local shops for examples of the latest and greatest.

Patty, a 25-year veteran in fashion industry, is the owner of Closetopia where she is a wardrobe consultant revamping and reorganizing clients’ wardrobes one closet at a time. Originally from the Central Coast of California and working many places from Florida to Hawaii, she’s lived in the area for 20 years with her husband and two children. Feel free to contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Steve Randon is the official cover photographer for Sophisticated Woman Magazine. For more information about Steve Randon Studio, please visit www.steverandon.com.