Akers Media Group, Inc.
Akers Media is the publisher of three regional, community magazines, Healthy Living, Lake & Sumter Style and Villages Style. The company, which was established in July 2008, launched Healthy Living Magazine in October 2008, VLIFE in October 2009 and acquired Lake & Sumter Style magazine in September 2010.
Akers Media was recognized for publishing excellence in 2009 when Healthy Living Magazine was named "Best New Magazine" in Florida by the Florida Magazine Association (FMA), the largest magazine association in Florida. That honor was accompanied by five other awards in the categories of writing, photography and design excellence.
The company continued its success in 2010 when the FMA awarded Healthy Living Magazine the coveted "Best Overall Magazine" award in Florida for regional magazines with circulations of 20,000 per month or less. Healthy Living and VLIFE received 10 other awards for writing excellence, photography and design.
Akers Media dominated its circulation category at the 2011 Florida Magazine Association’s annual awards ceremony taking home 11 awards including five Charlie Awards for Design Excellence and one for Writing Excellence..
At the 2012 Ad Federation regional awards, Akers took home a total of 14 awards including 5 gold, and a best in show for print publications, further strengthening their position as Central Florida's leading publisher.
The company is headquartered in Leesburg, Florida. Contact us here.
Become an Akers Media insider... Get to know our award-winning staff:
Kendra Akers, President
Kendra Akers is a lifelong resident of Lake County. She and husband, Doug, have five children, Michael, 22, Matthew, 21, Aubrey, 17, Shaena, 16 and Brooke, 14. She has been in the publishing industry since 1999, beginning her career as a marketing representative for a local newspaper. Since then, Kendra has worked at various publications and was able to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a magazine publisher with her launch of Healthy Living Magazine in 2008. She then launched her second publication, VLIFE, in 2009 and purchased Lake and Sumter STYLE Magazine in 2010. She is proud to report her publications have been recognized in numerous categories for "Publishing Excellence." The most recent accomplishment was in 2010, when Healthy Living Magazine was voted "Best Overall Magazine" by the Florida Magazine Association. In her spare time she enjoys most sports and likes to spend her free time offshore fishing near Crystal River, Florida.
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Doug Akers, Vice President
Doug Akers is a 1992 graduate of The University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. He has lived in Lake County since 1994 and presently lives in Leesburg with his wife Kendra and their children. Prior to forming Akers Media Group with Kendra, Doug had 18 years experience in healthcare management, most recently serving as the executive director of a multi-county homecare agency. He has served on the Lake County Comprehensive Healthcare Committee and also the Florida Homecare Association board of directors. In his spare time he enjoys sports, fishing and spending time with his family.
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Tim McRae, Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Tim McRae has deep roots here in Lake County. A 1969 graduate of Groveland High School and 1973 graduate of Florida Technological University (now UCF), he has enjoyed a 35 year career in sales and sales management. While working with a national company for 11 years and locally for the last 12 years, he has always been keenly drawn toward sales and building long-term client relationships. Tim has been married to the love of his life, Cindi, for 32 years, has two children, Jenny and Adam, and one granddaughter, Eden.
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Mike Stegall, Senior Sales Representative
Mike was born and raised in Leesburg, Florida and is a gradute of Leesburg High School. He attended Lake Sumter Community College and St Leo College majoring in business adminstration. After spending 17 years in corporate sales He came home to be with his wife Paula of 41 years. He presently resides in Mt Dora with his wife and they have one daughter and two grandsons Gavin and Landon.
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Jamie Ezra Mark, Creative Director
Jamie Mark studied at Michigan’s Center for Creative Study and the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. He achieved an industry grand slam when he completely redesigned Time, Inc.’s Weight Watchers Magazine, winning FOLIO’s Gold Ozzie for “Best Redesign,” being named to Adweek’s “Top Ten” and tapped as one of Advertising Age’s “BEST” Magazines. Jamie transformed The Arthritis Foundation’s Arthritis Today from a controlled circulation association magazine into a vibrant newsstand consumer publication that earned 13 design awards, including the Gold Ozzie for “Best Redesign. Jamie is married with one son and joined Akers Media in January 2011”
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Jim Gibson, Executive Editor
Jim Gibson has experience in both newspaper and magazine production. A Virginia native, he has lived most of his life near Wildwood, attending Wildwood High School, Lake Sumter Community College, Central Florida Community College and the University of Florida. He is married to his beautiful wife, Teresa, and they have three children, Danielle, James Jr. and Chris, and one granddaughter, Alani Hall. He has interviewed such notable personalities as Mike Huckabee, Paula Deen, Jack LaLanne, Guy Fieri, Nicole Johnson, Dave Ramsey, Tyson Gay, Jared Fogle, Curtis Stone and Jillian Michaels, among others.
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Cierra Chappell, Art Director
Cierra Chappell is the Art Director for Akers Media and has been working for the company since March 2009. She has a Commercial Art Technology & Graphic Design certification from Lake Technical Center where she also achieved the prestigious "Student of the Year" award. She takes pride in her creativity and attention to detail, which is evident in her work. Cierra is a Lake County native and currently resides in Leesburg.
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James Combs, Staff Writer
James Combs has been a staff writer for several local publications since August 2000. He has had the privilege of interviewing some of Lake County's many fascinating residents—from innovative business owners to heroic war veterans—and bringing their stories to life. A resident of Lake County since 1986, James recently embarked on a journey to lead a healthier lifestyle. He has lost 60 pounds and walks nearly five miles a day. In his spare time, he enjoys target shooting, skeet shooting and watching his beloved Kentucky Wildcats!
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Tiffany Roach, Managing Editor
Tiffany Roach is a staff writer and the author of Healthy Living's immensely popular article, S'motherhood, which is a humorous depiction of family life with her husband, James, and their four children: four year-old triplets Gracelyn, Seth, and Nathan and two-year-old daughter, Mikah—and their golden retriever, Camden, along with bunnies Skip and Hop and their assorted offspring.
Tiffany is a former world-class triathlete, personal trainer and graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. She also holds other various degrees including a Masters in Laundry and a Ph.D. in Diaper Changing.
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Heather Tootle, Office Manager
Heather Tootle has been a Lake County resident since 1996 and has extensive experience in sales and marketing in industries ranging from construction to healthcare. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor's in Business Administration. She and her husband, Jayson, currently reside in south Lake County and she looks forward to each and every weekend to enjoy all the Florida sunshine has to offer. Heather is outgoing and fun and her hobbies are beach volleyball and Sudoku.
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Scott Hegg, Distribution Manager
Scott has spent over 8 years as a distribution manager in the publishing industry before joining Akers Media Group in November. He is married and a resident of Fruitland Park.
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