Naples Illustrated

Kathy Becker, editor
Kathy Becker has been with the magazine since 1999. A graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Kathy grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and never pictured herself living in Florida. Her joy comes from working for an excellent company, product and team; and her daughter, son, and patient husband, Shawn, who make the craziness of deadlines, proofs, social events and production tolerable. If pressed, she will confess she has the best job and life on the planet, although working months and months in advance means she never really knows what day or season it is.

Kat Smith, managing editor
A transplanted New Yorker, Kat’s publishing career includes a lengthy stint (don’t ask how long) with The McGraw-Hill Companies in Manhattan. She serendipitously landed her job as managing editor at Naples Illustrated soon after moving to the area in 2005, essentially on a whim, with her husband, Doug.

Reynaldo Martin, art director
Holding a bachelor of fine arts degree from Florida Atlantic University, this Jamaican-born graphic designer joined Palm Beach Media Group as an art director, taking the helm of Tampa Bay Illustrated. After successfully redesigning the magazine, he moved over to Naples Illustrated with the intention of elevating its high standards of excellence and making it look the best it has ever been.

Adrienn Bencze, editorial intern
Adrienn was born in Budapest, Hungary. While growing up, she participated in the Hungarian National Alpine Ski Team, worked as a model, and studied abroad in Basel, Switzerland, and Minnesota. She earned her bachelor’s degree with a major in journalism at the College of Communication and Business in Budapest. In the fall of 2007, she moved to sunny Naples with her boyfriend (who is studying to become a commercial pilot) and joined the team of Naples Illustrated.

Howard Walker, automotive editor
Howard Walker has been covering the automotive beat for more than three decades and currently contributes to more than a dozen publications around the globe. In the United States, he writes a weekly auto column for the St. Petersburg Times and is a regular contributor to Robb Report, DuPont Registry, Car and Driver and Speed TV online. So what does the man who gets to drive some of the world’s most luxurious cars keep in his garages? “I have a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. I’ve owned it for 12 years and still love it with a passion. For me, it’s the ultimate Florida car.”

CONTRIBUTORS

Sharon Kenny, writer and photographer
Sharon Kenny is the author of Where Should We Eat? A Foodlover’s Recommended Places to Eat and Drink in the Naples Area. A Naples resident since 2000, Kenny sits on a number of community boards, including the Public Arts Advisory Committee and the Naples Zoo. She has a masters degree in Art History from Washington University in St. Louis and teaches art history at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Renaissance Academy in Naples. Before moving to Naples she worked in public relations and publishing.

Nick Shirghio, photographer
Nick Shirghio was born in Matawan, New Jersey, and came to Naples more than 25 years ago. He had an interest in photography ever since he was in middle school, but after his father gave him his first camera, there was no question about which career he would choose. Photography is pure enjoyment for him, and he loves the creativity and variety of assignments, locations and interesting people that he meets while working. His first published work in Naples was for Naples Illustrated, about eight years ago.