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.

PUBLIC SERVICE - SHERIFF GRADY JUDD

With an attitude towards law-enforcement that harkens back to the days of black and white cowboy hats, Sheriff Grady Judd stands in strong opposition to those who break the law within Polk County's borders.

Educated in Central Florida, Sheriff Judd received his associate degree in police science from Polk Community College, then his bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice at Rollins College in Winter Park. He attended the police academy in 1973 and has been a member of the Polk County Sheriff's Office since July 1972. He attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy before being elected sheriff in 2004.

It was Sheriff Judd who spearheaded the 2006 operation that has been suggested as the inspiration for Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" segment. During a six-week investigation, resulting in the arrest of 21 adults, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, along with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posed as children in Internet chat rooms and instant messaging services, contacting with adults looking for sex with underage children.

"I want the community to know that we are doing all we can to protect our children," Sheriff Judd said. "If you come to Polk County to attack our children, we will put you in jail."

Sheriff Judd is dedicated to his community. He is affiliated with a number of professional associations and councils, and community service groups, including the Drug Prevention Resource Center, Polk County-based Police Explorers, and the Polk County Historical Committee. He has also been an educator, serving as an instructor in criminology at both the University of South Florida and Florida Southern College.

FOOD - GEORGE STELLA

A testament to the low-carb lifestyle, George Stella is a success story two times over. Stella has become a famous face with a weekly show on the Food Network and regular visits on ABC's The View. But the real tale of triumph is his amazing weight loss-more than 250 pounds.

Stella began his food service career at age 13, working as a dishwasher in a Deerfield Beach restaurant. By the mid-'80s, he had worked as an executive chef for Windows on the Green in Ft. Lauderdale and the famous Mark's restaurants, owned by Chef Mark Militello. Stella, Militello and Dennis Max opened Cafe Max in Pompano Beach, bringing the first California Cuisine menu to Florida.

Stella invented Cooking Magic, a food product line, and founded Stella Foods, gourmet food products. He worked for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Seafood Marketing, performing cooking demonstrations promoting Florida seafood, and rubbing elbows with celebrity chefs such as Paul Prudhomme and Julia Child.

As his success grew, so did his weight, and by the late '90s, Stella's 470-pound frame stymied his ability to keep a job. Unable to endure the long hours and intense work required of top-notch chefs, he began to collect disability.

In 1999, after a friend left a book on the Atkins Diet at his house, Stella began his transformation. Using the low-carbohydrate fresh-food plan, Stella quickly began losing weight, five to 10 pounds at a time. After 18 months, he had shed more than 250 pounds, completely transforming himself to his current 205-pound self. To share his success with the world, Stella teamed with his wife, also a talented chef and adherent to Dr. Atkins' system, and founded The Low Carb Chefs!, a consulting firm teaching clients how to shop and live low-carb.

The story of the Stella family's success spread, and soon FOX, CNN, and CBS were calling. The family made appearances on 48 Hours and Entertainment Tonight. Stella has parlayed his success into a weekly show on the Food Network, Low Carb and Lovin' It, as well as two best-selling recipe books, Livin' Low Carb: Family Recipes Stella Style, and Eating Stella Style: Low Carb Recipes for Healthy Living. His success has been nothing less than stellar.

HERITAGE - JUDGE NELSON BAILEY

Loxahatchee Springs resident, Judge Nelson Bailey, graduated from Florida State University with a law degree in 1969. He has been an attorney with the Florida Department of Agriculture, a Florida assistant attorney general and, for 22 years, a criminal defense attorney. In 1995, he was appointed county judge for Palm Beach County by Governor Lawton Chiles.

Aside from a brilliant legal career, Judge Bailey is a storyteller. Listed on the National Storytelling Directory as the only storyteller with tales exclusive to Florida, the judge's yarns illuminate the rich tapestry of the state's history. Story topics run the gamut in topics and time periods, reaching back to the 16th century and centering on the first Spaniards. Others relate to settlers and ranchers between the 1500s and 1800s, Seminoles and Black Seminoles of the 18th and 19th centuries, the state's unique black history back to the foundation of St. Augustine, and Florida's Crackers and cow hunters. As a part-time rancher and full-time Cracker, Judge Bailey delves into the history of the culture, commenting on Cracker heritage, lifestyle and equipment.

Combining his two passions, Judge Bailey has been instrumental in instituting awareness programs putting new spins on old topics. Among these programs, is the Narcotics Overdose Prevention & Education (NOPE) Task Force, designed to show teens the reality of drug use. Speakers, law enforcement officials, prosecution and defense lawyers, parents of teenagers who have died of drug overdoses, and recovering addicts, travel to different high schools telling stories of how drug use has affected their lives.

EDUCATION - RICHARD ELLENBURG

Born, raised and educated in Orlando, teacher Richard Ellenburg has Central Florida in his blood. He has been honored twice as Florida's Teacher of the Year in 2007 and 2008, and is currently serving as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for education, touring Florida schools to discuss different educational challenges and opportunities.

It was while attending the University of Central Florida that Ellenburg decided to be a teacher. "One day, I took the elevator of what was then the General Classroom Building and knocked on a door," he told UCF last year. "Dean Miller opened it and talked with me for a very long time and encouraged me to become an educator. At the time I had no idea who this gentleman was, but I was taken with his passion and interest in my life. I was sold." Since then he has made his presence known in Orange County schools through his unique and passionate methods of educating Florida's youth. "I often tell people that I have no idea why I became a teacher but that I can't imagine ever being anything else."

Singing, guitar-playing, gardening and rocketry are just some of the activities that might take place in Ellenburg's classroom. Through his unorthodox methods, Ellenburg aims to challenge kids and instill in them a passion for learning. In addition to his work in the classroom, the educator publishes The Science Corner, a monthly newsletter which serves as a resource for other teachers. It includes links to websites, books, learning events and lesson plans. He maintains a blog named "Where's Rick?" and provides parents with helpful links and pictures of classroom experiments.

SCIENCE - SONNY GRUBER

Sonny "Doc" Gruber began his career early, collecting shells on Miami Beach and his love for the ocean grew. He learned to SCUBA dive at age 13 and participated in diving and swimming in high school.

His true passion began after a chance encounter with a shark during his junior year at the University of Miami. While spearfishing off the coast, Gruber found himself hounded by a large hammerhead shark. "I was absolutely terrified and awed, yet the giant fish was beautiful, magnificent and was circling me," he says. "But when he did not actually kill ... me, I knew that I wanted to learn more about these creatures." Thus began a lifelong fascination with these graceful and often misunderstood creatures.

Gruber has devoted himself to sharks and other elasmobranches, such as skates and rays. His main focus, the lemon shark, aided his discovery that the sharks possessed sensitive eyesight. Founder of the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas, the tropical shark lab is his life's work. It offers marine biology internships to students interested in shark research and ocean conservation.

Gruber's research career spans 34 years, and he led 49 research cruises throughout the Atlantic Ocean. He produced approximately 170 peer-reviewed scientific publications, with topics ranging from shark repellants to the commensal behaviors of stingrays and cleaner wrasses. He currently serves as a tenured professor at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science; a council member of the Bahamas National Trust; and a board member of the University of Southern Mississippi's College of Marine Science. He continues to direct the Bimini shark lab, researching and advocating his favorite creatures.

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