Laura Short McIntire
Principal, LSM Communications, LLC &
Founder and Program Director, South Bay Families Connected
Prior to launching LSM Communications (LSM) in 2013, Laura built a career spanning over two decades in strategic planning and marketing. Her professional experience includes roles as a Senior Consultant in the Health Care Management Consulting Division of Ernst & Young; Director of Physician Relations at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank; and Regional Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center.
Laura earned a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA, where she also served as an English composition tutor in both the UCLA Athletic Department and the Academic Resource Center, a teaching assistant in the Psychology Department and a behavior modification student-therapist for clients of the UCLA Autism Program. These experiences cemented her life-long interest in mental health and wellness.
As Principal of LSM, Laura provides strategic planning and communications consulting services to health care, mental health and nonprofit organizations throughout the South Bay. Her long-standing client relationships reflect her trusted expertise and commitment to measurable results. LSM clients have included: Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Thelma McMillen Recovery Center, Beach Cities Health District, Gelbart and Associates (now Mindpath Health) and Blankets of Love South Bay.
In August 2015, Laura developed the Families Connected concept and, with her team, launched South Bay Families Connected (SBFC) as a pilot youth wellness and substance use prevention program at Mira Costa High School. Today, SBFC supports families across 115 SBFC Partner Schools by offering free online access to original blogs and videos, curated resources, in-person and virtual educational programming and support groups, and more. Under the direction of the nonprofit SBFC Board of Directors (est. 2017), Laura establishes and maintains all community partner and school relationships, manages SBFC contracts, produces content and the SBFC newsletter, co-facilitates the Families Connected Parent Chat support group, and tracks and reports on program success metrics. She considers it a true honor to collaborate with so many dedicated school administrators, counselors, South Bay organizations, and parents in her Families Connected Parent Advisory, all united in the shared goal of helping youth thrive.
Melissa Overholt
Vice President, Video Production (January 2017 - present)
Melissa is an independent documentary film producer whose current film, Attache, is now on the festival route, including DOC LA, Sidewalk Film Festival, Beach Cities Inspirational Film Fest, Oxford Film Fest among others. It’s a film which focuses on the importance of music/arts education in public schools, a subject very dear to her heart. Prior to her independent productions, Melissa had extensive experience as an award-winning producer and director on the Dr. Phil, Show, as well as at Pie Town Productions.
Melissa’s passion for education and lifting up youth comes through in the videos she produces for LSM and its clients. In partnership with Laura, Melissa is the creative force behind the various Families Connected video series. She is particularly passionate about sharing authentic stories of struggle and perseverance in a way that is both sensitive to the story teller and meaningful and enriching to the viewer. She directs all aspects of the Families Connected video productions, from subject selection, talent direction, filming , and editing. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi. The value of Melissa's work and our appreciation for her ongoing contributions to the Families Connected project are immeasurable.
Riley McIntire
Social Media Associate (June 2023 - present)
Riley graduated magna cum laude from Loyola Marymount University in December 2025 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Theatre. In her role at LSM, she has worked as a part-time associate, assisting with clients’ social media platforms and editing newsletters, blogs and website content. Her prior experience includes serving as a teaching assistant for LMU’s new student orientation courses and as the head Sunday school teacher at Manhattan Beach Community Church.
Riley is the recipient of numerous honors, including the LMU Knott Fellowship, awarded for completing more than 30 hours of service within the English Department, and the LMU Devere Scholarship, which provided a full scholarship to study Irish history and literature at University College Cork in Ireland. She is passionate about creative writing and earned first place in the LMU Frank Sullivan Memorial Writing Contest.
Nannette Posey
Quality Control and Website Manager (December 2019 - present)
Nannette was promoted from researcher and editor to her current management position in November 2023. Nannette serves in the critical role of reviewing the Families Connected website for accuracy and link continuity, rotating through the numerous pages of the website on a continuous basis, and updating the website. Her exceptional research skills and keen eye for recommending complementary content from reputable national sources make her an invaluable part of the LSM Team.
Nannette is a graduate of University California Santa Barbara and has a prior career in consumer marketing. We appreciate her professional experience as well as her perspective as a mom of two daughters. She spent sixteen years in the Midwest starting a family and guiding her two daughters through pre-school in Chicago and elementary school in Kansas City before returning to Redondo Beach in 2016. She has volunteered extensively in various schools, developed a program for elementary girls to encourage solidarity with all girls and build confidence, and has led two Girl Scout troops, all of which has given her meaningful insight into youth attitudes across the country. She enjoys discovering information relevant to today's ever-evolving environment and how our youth can utilize this to create a better world.
Previous staff with a lasting impact
Kelsey (McIntire) Reilly, Manager, Social Media and Digital Production (May 2020 - August 2023)
Kelsey brought extensive expertise and a keen eye for detail to her work producing digital content, website development, and social media engagement for LSM clients and the Families Connected Project. Prior to joining LSM, she managed marketing and social media for a commercial real estate firm in Santa Rosa, California. She currently serves as Operations Manager at a venture capital firm in La Jolla.
A graduate of Sonoma State University and a former NCAA All-American middle blocker, Kelsey has since transitioned to beach volleyball and continues to compete, most recently earning her Double A two-man rating.
Dana Brawer, Director of Production (2013 - 2016)
Though Dana is no longer a member of the LSM production team, this page would not be complete without acknowledging her for the intuition, talent, and dedication that she gave to the initial production and launch of the SBFC website. A film school graduate of NYU's Tisch School of Arts, Dana has worked at Netflix, CBS, MTV and the Colbert Report, among others. She spends additional time at red carpet screenings of her own independent, award-winning productions. We will forever be grateful that Dana paused a long while at LSM upon her path to big things. Good luck, Dana B!
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Holly Francisco Maynes, Graphic Designer (2014 - 2018)
Holly is a talented graphic artist whose experience in corporate communications spans two decades and includes design and production of advertising and collateral materials for Northrop Grumman, Cannon Computers, Fremont Investment & Loan, The U.S. Open, Healthcare Partners, Cristel David Broadcasting, Wilshire Holdings Corp., Behavioral Health Services, INN8DESIGN, and more. We will forever be grateful to Holly for consistently delivering clean and compelling design work to the SBFC project and our numerous health care clients. Wishing her all the best and many adventures in her retirement.