21 Intriguing Floridians

Florida Monthly spotlights 21 Floridians, excelling in fields from public service and film to technology and health, who intrigue us. They mirror the unique demographic and cultural makeup of the Sunshine State.

MEDICINE—When a loved one dies unexpectedly, an explanation is needed before closure and healing can begin. That is where Dr. Jan Garavaglia, aka Dr. G, comes in. As a medical examiner, Dr. G must study each person’s personal and medical history to determine a specific and accurate cause of death.

Her talent as a forensic pathologist caught the attention of national media, and cable subscribers can watch Dr. G every Monday night on the Discovery Health channel. Each episode features at least three cases, which sometimes provide unexpected outcomes from her initial diagnoses. Dr. G is the chief medical examiner of the District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office, serving Orange and Osceola counties. Her office studies approximately 6,500 cases annually. Recently, Dr. G garnered national attention as the examiner who positively identified slain toddler Caylee Anthony’s remains.

Dr. G graduated from the St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed a forensic pathology fellowship at the Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office. Her experience also includes 10 years working as a medical examiner in San Antonio and time as a clinical assistant professor of pathology at the University of Texas Health Science Center. For more information about Dr. G, visit www.health.discovery.com.

STAGE—It’s a long way from Treasure Island, Florida, to the stages of New York. Lee Markham, new cast member to the popular Off-Broadway play Altar Boyz, may be a relative newcomer to the Big Apple, but he spent most of his life trying to get there.

He appeared in many productions, including Into the Woods at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School and The Comedy of Errors while earning his bachelor’s degree in theatre at the University of South Florida. Also in Tampa, Markham performed stand-up comedy routines at the Tampa Improv and Sidesplitters Comedy Club.

His professional career includes performances at the New York Musical Theatre Festival and the New World Stages. To keep his comedy skills sharp, he performed with the New York improvisation troupe Eight is Never Enough. Markham reprises his current role as Luke in Altar Boyz, following performances in Media, Penn., and Glen Falls, New York, during the Adirondack Theatre Festival.

The play tells the story of a pious boy band, whose hit songs like “Girl You Make Me Wanna Wait” take them from small-town Ohio to the bright lights of New York. The musical comedy hit debuted in 2004 and has become a national favorite. Markham joined the cast in April.

HORTICULTURE—Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, a vital Miami attraction, draws 400,000 visitors and 50,000 school children annually. Essential to today’s tourism, it reminds guests about the beauty and fragility of nature. The fate of this all-important garden is now in the capable hands of its new director, Carl Lewis.

Lewis, who holds a doctorate in systemic botany from Cornell University, began at Fairchild in 2001 as a research scientist. He has worked to entice both the public and scientific community to the garden and its collections. His accomplishments include introducing new species, creating a DNA bank of rare exotic plants, developing a palm-growing guide and working with international scientists.

Fairchild’s board of trustees voted unanimously in favor of Lewis as the new director this past December. For more information, visit www.fairchildgarden.org.

MUSIC—As a Vero Beach native, Jake Owen grew up with aspirations of becoming a professional golfer. Although he made the Florida State University golf team, a waterskiing accident left him unable to play. While recovering, he picked up a friend’s guitar and discovered a new talent. Soon, he was playing in local bars with his band, Yeehaw Junction, writing his own songs and dreaming of a new profession.

Short a few credits of graduating, Owen left for Nashville in 2001 as a singer and songwriter. This April, Owen was named the Top New Male Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music awards.

Owen is currently touring the country, supporting his latest album, Easy Does It.
Owen will return to Vero Beach in December. “Every year I do a charity event in my hometown with my best friend who plays professional tennis,” he explained. “We raise money for kids in our hometown. This will be our fourth year, and we’ve raised a lot of money so far, which is really important to us—to give back to the community that gave us so much growing up.” Mardy’s Tennis and Jake’s Music Fest is scheduled for December 11-12, with proceeds going toward the Mardy Fish Foundation.

For more information on Jake Owen, visit his website at www.jakeowen.net.

PHILANTHROPY—Lake Mary resident and guide dog trainer John Byfield works every day to ensure blind individuals never feel helpless or alone.

His fascination with canines began during his service as a London police cadet, caring for and training police dogs. Later drafted into the Royal Air Force, Byfield became a dog handler full time. In the summer of 1958, he completed his military service and became an apprentice at a guide dog center, and he has worked in the field ever since.

Today, Byfield is the training director for New York-based Freedom Guide Dogs. The International Guide Dog Foundation recognized Byfield last June as the world’s longest-serving active guide dog trainer and instructor. He was given the Ken Lord Award, which recognizes individuals who have served with guide dogs for at least 20 years.

“I can say I’ve been in the occupation for over 51 years and I’ve never been bored—never,” Byfield said. “It’s always stimulating. It’s a great occupation. I guess I’m really lucky to have found something that’s so fulfilling and really very important.”

One of his most well-known accomplishments was helping establish the “in-community placement” process. In lieu of clients traveling to a training facility, guide dogs are brought to their homes.

There are no government programs to provide guide dogs, so it is up to private nonprofit organizations. Dogs are raised, trained and given away at no cost to clients. To learn more about John Byfield, visit www.freedomguidedogs.org.

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