Megan McDonald

3 weeks ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Kim Doleatto |Lauren Jackson |Cooper Levey-Baker |Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald

That’s a question those of us at Sarasota Magazine found ourselves asking again and again as we set out to compile a list of the region’s most influential individuals. Does power mean the ability to sway local government? Or does it come from having a huge national following? Does being wealthy make one powerful? Or does real power come from donating to causes important to you? These are all questions we debated, and they each helped shape our thinking in putting together this list.

1 month ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald

Journalist and author Jonathan Eig spent six years—the entire pandemic and then some—holed up in his Chicago laundry-room-slash-office writing King: A Life, a 688-page biography of Martin Luther King Jr. It was time well spent. Before Eig, many other biographers had tackled King's life story. But what makes Eig's approach different is how it humanizes a man who looms so large in our collective consciousness.

1 month ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Cooper Levey-Baker |Kim Doleatto |Lauren Jackson |Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald

Meet eight people who are making our region a better place. Plus: Eat like a local, meet Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes and tour 10 buildings that have shaped Sarasota's history. Lee DeLieto Sr. Helps Young People Thrive“We’re teaching woodworking, plumbing, electrical. That’s crucial, because many of those families need as much income as they can bring home.”David Shuel Helps People Find Work and Support After Being Incarcerated“These guys come here and they’re wounded. They’re hurt.

1 month ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald

Dr. Lisa Butler Grain, a retired orthodontist, comes from a family of teachers. Before pivoting to practice dentistry and serving in hospitals and public health clinics, Grain’s mother, Dr. Carolyn Lassiter, earned a master’s degree in education and taught elementary school. Grain’s grandmother was also a teacher in the Washington, D.C., public school system for more than 40 years. “My grandmother would always say, ‘Teaching is in the blood,’” says Grain.

1 month ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald

Sarah Parker has always wanted to create change. Even as a child, she collected quarters to give to animal relief organizations. But it was the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 that galvanized her. “I knew what was happening on Wall Street wasn’t right, but I couldn’t get to New York to protest,” she says.