Recently, during a chat with our director of sales and community relations, Stephanie Reese, we were marveling at Bainbridge’s uncanny ability to attract exceptional people. It’s hard to wrap one’s head around the sheer amount of talent, ingenuity, art, entrepreneurialism, creation, philanthropy and intellect that has collected and arranged itself on this tiny island. We met a healthy dose of these folks while putting this issue together, but it’s not even close to being a one-off.
While interviewing Chris Marlett for the home feature, he expressed how Bainbridge was the perfect place to build Camphome’s prototype, because if anyone will understand the vision, it’s us. And if he can learn from any group of people, it’s us, too. While I was marveling at his idealism and execution, Chris mentioned some of the noteworthy people who live here, giving the example of Matthew Coates and his inspiring achievements. Matthew, coincidentally (although I don’t believe in coincidence), is also celebrated in this issue for his two decades of outstanding architectural contributions on the island. Kismet.
The hits kept on coming. While reading Geroge Soltes’ deep dive feature on Nobel Prize winner Fred Ramsdell’s groundbreaking work in immunology, I was genuinely moved, because this man is actually our neighbor. Like you might run into a genius in the Grand Forest on a Tuesday. And speaking of George, in addition to being one of our contributing editors, he’s a brilliant interventional radiologist, but writes and edits for us because he’s also a great journalist and loves the island.
And back to Stephanie Reese, this world-renowned singer and actress (think Carnegie Hall and many of the planet’s biggest stages, where she had leading roles in “Miss Saigon,” “The King and I” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” to name a few) now calls Bainbridge home. She sits on boards, teaches, volunteers and in her spare time created the Asian Arts & Heritage Festival, which just celebrated its third year. Talk about chops.
The list of remarkables goes on and on, which is good news for a magazine like ours. What good fortune it is, Bainbridge, to live inside and witness this infectious swarm of expanding consciousness.
