October 16, 2025, 7:30AM

Sue Kempf was selected to the Laguna Beach City Council in 2018 and served as Mayor in 2022 and again in 2024. Prior to her election to City Council, Sue served nearly 5 years on the City’s Planning Commission, and three years as Chair of the Emergency Disaster Preparedness Committee. In 2019, Sue and Councilmember Bob Whalen, in concert with City Staff, developed the Fire Mitigation/Fire Safety program which has been widely deployed throughout the City, including the HeliPods on the ridgeline which allow for quick aerial response capability. Her City Council assignments include board member positions on the Laguna Canyon Foundation, Laguna Beach County Water District, Festival of the Arts, Irvine Bowl Policy Committee as well as liaison to the Arts Commission, Recreation Committee and South Laguna Water District Advisory member.

In her professional career, Kempf served three years as President of Mirion Technologies Dosimetry Division and 28 years in the wireless communication industry in senior management and Executive positions. Her most enjoyable volunteer activity in town was coaching boys basketball at the Boys and Girls Club in Laguna Beach for several years. Sue enjoys life in Laguna Beach with her spouse, Cheryl, and her many friends around town.

September 18, 2025, 7:30AM

 With her experience as a yoga instructor, studies in plant based nutrition, and exposure to several healing modalities, Nikki Honarkar Bostwick founded THE FULLEST, a wellness company rooted in the belief that emotional health is the foundation of true well-being. Through her line of saffron-based supplements and lifestyle content, she blends ancient wisdom with modern science to help people feel their best, naturally. Nikki also co-founded Baile, a curated marketplace for elevated everyday goods, and is deeply committed to community, culture, and conscious commerce. She lives in Laguna Beach with her husband and two young children.

August 21, 2025, 7:30AM

Burt, an experienced esthetician and massage therapist for both humans and canines, recently represented Spa Del Rio in the World Championship of Massage Therapy in Copenhagen, Denmark. With a background in marketing and sales, she opened the boutique spa alongside her mom and sisters, a close knit family of five. What began as a family venture has grown into a trusted destination for exceptional massage and facial services. Since opening in 2020, Spa Del Rio has been recognized as the #4 Best Massage in the U.S. by Yelp, and holds more 5 star reviews than any other spa in Laguna Beach.

Jaye is an award winning speaker and coach who helps women stop doubting their own brilliance and become successful. With over 20 years’ experience as a corporate leader, counselor, and sober single parent, she’s part strategist, part advocate, and part instigator — known for helping women cut through the noise, listen to their own voice, and go after their biggest vision in life. She partners with female founders and vision-led organizations to turn bold ideas into real results. She’s the creator of Remember Who the F You Are, the rally cry and coaching program for women ready to stop second guessing themselves, start trusting their intuition, and create lives that look like success and feel like freedom.

July 17, 2025, 7:30AM

Born in Braunschweig, Germany and raised in Ciudad Real, Spain, Andrew’s exposure to modern European living and classical architecture inspired the universal and classical themes with modern design found in his artwork. At the age of 20, Andrew applied to the Art Institute of Southern California (now the Laguna College of Art and Design) with no previous training. While touring the school, Andrew saw students depicting live models in clay, and he immediately knew he wanted to be a sculptor. While studying at LCAD, Andrew developed his skills through advanced figurative sculpture and accelerated painting curriculum, providing him with basic working knowledge of the artistic field. But it was Andrew’s drive and passion for creativity that allowed him to cultivate his particular style.

Andrew’s signature “screw art” is created with thousands of screws drilled into a wood board very close to each other at different depths to create a sculptural relief of the image, where each screw head forms a canvas. This steel canvas then gets painted over to mimic the actual image. Although Andrew is best known for his screw art pieces, his work spans multiple genres and mediums, including sculpting, painting, and drawing.

In May 2023, Andrew opened the Andrew Myers Art Gallery in downtown Laguna Beach, where he features his screw art among an eclectic art collection by other artists.

June 19, 2025, 7:30AM

Jennifer Cate, Principal, Cate Collaborative

Jennifer’s longtime dedication to social issues led her to the field of nonprofit fundraising right out of college. Originally from Houston, she worked at the Houston Area Women’s Center, Children’s Museum of Houston, Serve Houston Youth Corps, and the Silberstein Group before striking out on her own and working with a myriad of nonprofits from diverse sectors, such as health, education, social services, environment, and the arts.

After 10 years of working solo, Jennifer founded the firm Cate + Proctor in 2011. When her business partner moved out of town in early 2020, Jennifer renovated the firm into Cate Collaborative and became the sole principal and owner.  She has worked in every aspect of nonprofit development with organizations of all sizes and in every sector.

Jennifer recently relocated to Laguna Beach where she is looking forward to establishing new connections and making an impact with area nonprofits.

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Christina Logee is the 4th owner of Little Freebirds, kids clothing, toys and books in Laguna Beach. It has resided in the same location on Ocean Ave. since 2003. Previously an optician, she has explored many career paths in the optical industry including National Director of Professional Development for a large optometry group, Business Coach to hundreds of Optometry clinics, Professor at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and President of the Alberta College of Opticians regulatory board. She has also been a speaker at many industry events lecturing on Leadership & Management, Communication Skills, and many more optical  related subjects. She grew up within the patient-centric medical field and this has certainly influenced her attention to detail and high level of high-touch helpful customer service. She has two grown children of her own, was a Girl Scout leader for more than a decade, soccer coach, basketball coach and just genuinely loves kids. Little Freebirds has long been known to have accessible natural and sustainable fabrics with a focus on European and local USA made brands. Being a community minded person, Christina will also bring Little Freebirds more into the fabric of the community. Look for kids craft days, book readings, kids songs, and more at Little Freebirds. Currently Christina is a Laguna Beach Parents Club sponsor, and a member of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce as well as MOMco, previously MOPS. She is bringing the same positive energy and care for her new community as she did for her previous industry.

May 15, 2025, 7:30AM

Mayor Alex Rounaghi is a lifelong resident and the third generation of his family to live in Laguna Beach. Growing up, Alex was always inspired by the unique village character, artistic culture, unparalleled natural beauty, and warm, close-knit community of his hometown. He was elected to the Laguna Beach City Council in 2022, and in 2024, City Council appointed Alex as the new mayor.

Prior to his election to City Council, Alex served as Chair of the Laguna Beach Housing and Human Services Committee. He also worked as Senior Policy Advisor to Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, overseeing policy initiatives related to housing, homelessness, and public safety.

Alex currently works as a Development Manager at City Ventures, an eco-friendly home-building company. He previously worked at Related California on affordable housing projects in Los Angeles. Alex also serves as a Director for the Laguna Beach County Water District.

Alex received his Bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and is a proud graduate of Laguna Beach public schools. Outside of his job and his City Council work, he can be found running along Laguna Beach’s beautiful greenbelt trails.

April 17, 2025, 7:30AM

Chief King was appointed to Fire Chief for the Laguna Beach Fire Department in July 2022, bringing extensive experience and visionary leadership to the role. Chief King began his career with the Sacramento Fire Department in 1994, rising through the ranks to Deputy Fire Chief, where he led both operational and administrative divisions, overseeing areas such as Training, Professional Standards, Recruitment, Emergency Medical Services, and Special Operations.

Chief King holds a Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Master of Science in Emergency Services Management from CSU Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Science in Fire Service Administration from CSU Sacramento. He is recognized nationally as an Executive Fire Officer by the U.S. Fire Administration and has actively contributed to leadership roles in multiple regional, state, and federal disasters.

Throughout his career, Chief King has demonstrated exceptional collaboration, fostering strong labor-management relationships and implementing innovative strategies to improve community safety and fire department efficiency. Committed to community engagement and professional excellence, Chief King is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and safety of Laguna Beach residents and visitors alike.

March 20, 2025, 7:30AM

Jennifer’s longtime dedication to social issues led her to the field of nonprofit fundraising right out of college. Originally from Houston, she worked at the Houston Area Women’s Center, Children’s Museum of Houston, Serve Houston Youth Corps, and the Silberstein Group before striking out on her own and working with a myriad of nonprofits from diverse sectors, such as health, education, social services, environment, and the arts.

After 10 years of working solo, Jennifer founded the firm Cate + Proctor in 2011. When her business partner moved out of town in early 2020, Jennifer renovated the firm into Cate Collaborative and became the sole principal and owner.  She has worked in every aspect of nonprofit development with organizations of all sizes and in every sector.

Mohammad “Mo” Honarkar is a seasoned entrepreneur and real estate developer based in Orange County, California, with a proven history of successful ventures. As the Founder, CEO, and President of 4G Ventures, Mo oversees a diverse portfolio of real estate and business investments. Notably, he is driving forward several visionary projects, including the development of a luxury mixed-use hotel in North Laguna Beach, a transformative arts district in Laguna Canyon, and a revitalization of a shopping center in Newport Beach.

His journey began nearly 30 years ago with the successful launch of a high-end men’s clothing line, “Chez Lui.” His keen business acumen led him to establish multiple wireless retail ventures, including GSM Wireless and 4G Wireless, which grew to become major players in the industry before being sold to national retailers.

February 20, 2025, 7:30AM

As the executive director of Laguna Art Museum, Lee provides strategic vision and growth, sound financial stewardship and oversight of all aspects of the museum's operations. Lee previously served as the executive director of the Catalina Island Museum during the years 2016–2021, where she spearheaded a period of remarkable growth. Under her leadership, the museum completed a capital project for its new permanent facility and gained prominence through high-profile exhibitions, successful fundraising initiatives and enhanced collections care. From 2008-2016, Lee was vice president of Collections and Exhibition Development at the Bowers Museum, where she directed acquisitions, research, preservation, and the organization of major international exhibitions. Lee holds a BA in Art History, an MFA in Exhibition Design, and a Certificate in Museum Studies, all from California State University, Fullerton.

January 16, 2025, 7:30AM

Benoit’s career as a contemporary jazz pianist began in 1977, and includes 41 solo recordings. Many of these, including his 1987 GRP Records debut “Freedom at Midnight” and its Grammy nominated 1988 follow-up “Every Step Of The Way” are considered influential classics in the genre. He was voted “Keyboardist of the Year” in 2000 and 2001 by the Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards and on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. He has worked with numerous musicians including the Rippingtons, Emily Remler, the late Alphonse Mouzon, Dave Koz, Faith Hill, David Sanborn, CeCe Winans, Keiko Matsui, Hiroshima, Brian McKnight, Patti Austin, Connie Stevens, Ann Margaret and Lainie Kazan.

Benoit has also been a popular film and television composer. His most notable film scores are The Stars Fell on Henrietta, produced by Clint Eastwood, starring Robert Duvall; and The Christmas Tree, produced by Sally Field, voted Best Score of 1996 by Film Score Magazine. His association with Charles Schulz and the famed Peanuts realm led to over 10 years composing music for the Peanuts TV special on CBS. He’s written themes for All My Children (ABC) and Sisters (NBC), and scored the “Movies of the Week” Final Descent (with the late Robert Urich) and Cadillac Jack (Starring Clint Black). In collaboration with lyricist Mark Winkler, David completed his first Broadway musical, Something’s Got To Give about the life and times of Marilyn Monroe.

Benoit currently hosts a morning radio show on KKJZ 88.1 FM. He continually tours, records, and is composer in residence at Montalvo Arts, and the Music Director and Conductor for the Asia America Symphony Association.