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No Time For Complacency

It has been 10 years since Hurricane Wilma wreaked havoc on South Florida.

That means there are plenty of newcomers here who haven’t been through a hurricane. Even those of us who went through Wilma may not understand the worst case scenario for a hurricane in South Florida.

The closest in recent decades was Hurricane Andrew in 1992. It was a Category 5 hurricane with speeds up to 165 miles per hour. I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to help do some clean-up afterwards, so I got a first-hand view. New homes in the Country Walk subdivision had their roofs totally peeled away and the rafters tumbled like dominos. Across the street, I came across a couple who came back to pick through the remains of their mobile home. There were no walls left standing. At one point the wife poked through a cupboard on the floor and exclaimed, “Honey, look a can of peas!” Yup, that’s what was about left.

While Andrew devastated the area it hit, the impact could have been a lot worse. One reason has to do with its size. Compared to the sprawling Wilma, it was a relatively compact hurricane. Parts of Palm Beach County experienced worse weather with severe thunderstorms a few weeks later. Andrew also hit on the southern end of the region. I remember picking up the newspaper the day before and there was fear that it could hit at the Miami-Dade/Broward County line.

Our story in this issue looks at some of the worst case scenarios for a hurricane hitting the region. The potential for insurance claims is incredible The story is not meant to be alarmist, but falls under the saying of “he who is forewarned is also forearmed.”

A final note for this column is to congratulate Greenspoon Marder on 35 years of growth. I’ve known Co-Managing Shareholder Gerald Greenspoon for close to two decades, so I’ve had an up close work at what he’s has been able to accomplish. While I’m used to hearing news about the firm’s growth, but there has been an amazing wave of developments in the past year. Unlike some business leaders, Gerry isn’t one to crave the spotlight and ask for a cover story, actually not even a story at all in this case, but it’s certainly a story worth telling.

There was a great opportunity to meet his counterpart, Orlando-based Michael Marder, during the opening celebration for the firm’s Miami office. As you can judge from the story, Michael turns out to be every bit as impressive as Gerry.

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.