Lori Smith

Lori Leath Smith is the Publisher/Executive Editor of Bay Life, Destin Life and FWB Life (and coming soon Freeport Life) where she manages the publications’ information and articles on local news, events, non-profit organizations, sports, businesses and feature profiles as well as the business’ social media, website, event sponsorships and press. Part of the Life Media family of seven community publications spanning from Fort Walton Beach to Panama City Beach and north of the Bay, each printed edition is direct-mailed and distributed to roughly 12,000 households and businesses in each community with a readership impact of 30,000 in each area.

Prior to Life Media, she was Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Seaside Community Development Corp. where she led the destination’s public and media relations, social media, communications and marketing strategies. During her tenure, Smith garnered prestigious Seaside press and designations such as the following: One of Trip Advisor’s “15 Rising Vacation Rental Destinations for 2016,” PBS’s “10 Towns that Changed America,” Travel Channel’s “2015 Best Family Beach,” “Best Beach on Earth” for families by Travel + Leisure magazine and included in USA Today’s “Top 10 Best Beach Towns in Florida,” and earned publicity in media outlets such as Garden & Gun, Southern Living (50th Anniversary), Coastal Living, USA Today, and Travel & Leisure. She successfully led the establishment of Seaside’s social media, promoted the launch of a new Seaside wine brand, and established a digital and physical Seaside Visitor’s Bureau.

Upon graduation from Auburn University in Public Relations, Speech Communications, Journalism and Broadcasting, Smith began her publishing career as a writer/editor for Southern Living/Southern Progress, a division of Time, Inc., in Birmingham, Ala. Her varied career includes multi-media work in publishing, marketing, advertising, public relations, economic development, sales, events, writing, graphic design, editorial direction and art direction for companies and clients in several industries, nationally and internationally, such as Anderson News syndicate, EBSCO Media, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and Florida’s Great Northwest Economic Development. Smith helped produce the 1996 Olympics program, Warren Buffet’s book by Andy Kilpatrick and several national sports championship books. Smith has received Ad Fed Addy Awards for both Sandestin and Alabama magazines. 

Current Professional Affiliations: 
Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (Board)
Scenic Walton (Executive Board)
Rotary Club of Destin (Board PR/Image chair)
Destin Chamber, Niceville-Val’p Chamber, Fort Walton Beach Chamber and Walton Area Chamber
Emerald Coast Networking
Business Empowered
Freeport Merchants Association

Former:
Judge-Miss West Florida, Judge-Miss Destin, Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) – Northwest Florida Coast Chapter (Board 14 years), Walton Area Chamber Executive Board, VISIT South Walton Marketing Committee, VISIT Florida Industry Relations Committee, Seaside Repertory Theatre Board, Women in Communications, AdFed (Birmingham, Ala.)