Laura Short McIntire (October 2013 - present)
President, LSM Communications, LLC,
Producer, The Families Connected Project, & Founder and Program Director, South Bay Families Connected
After graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology, Laura’s career comprised two decades of consulting and strategic planning experience in her previous positions as a Senior Consultant in the Health Care Management Consulting Division of Ernst & Young, as the Director of Physician Relations at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Burbank, and as the Regional Director of Marketing and Public Relations, the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center.
Laura launched LSM Communications, LLC, (LSM) in 2013, providing strategic planning and communications consulting services to health care and non-profit clients throughout the South Bay, including Beach Cities Health District, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Thelma McMillen Recovery Center, Gelbart and Associates and Blankets of Love South Bay.
In August of 2015, Laura launched South Bay Families Connected (SBFC) and the Families Connected Project with the goal of having a positive impact on youth mental health and substance use prevention. In October 2016, a dedicated group of SBFC Board co-founders established SBFC as a 501(c)3. The organization now serves families at 115 Partner Schools with resources, educational programming, and support. Built as an agile and scalable model, the Families Connected Project is available to schools and communities anywhere in the United States.
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.
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.
Riley McIntire
Social Media Associate (June 2023 - present)
Riley’s first role at LSM was as an intern proof-reading content, conducting research and assisting with social media. She is now a part-time social media associate servicing LSM clients’ social media pages and editing newsletters, blogs and website content. Riley is currently a full-time student at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) pursing a B.A. in English and a minor in theater. Her prior experience includes serving as a T.A. for LMU’s new student orientation classes, supporting instruction in mental health, sexual consent awareness and substance use prevention, topics Riley is well-versed in due to the two years she served on SBFC’s Youth Advisory. Prior to her T.A. role, Riley was a head Sunday school teacher at Manhattan Beach Community Church for over a year. Her passions are singing and acting. She recently received a scholarship from the LMU English Department to study at University College Cork, summer 2024.
Previous Staff with a Lasting Impact
Kelsey Reilly, Manager, Social Media and Digital Production (May 2020 - August 2023)
Kelsey brought extensive expertise and an eye for detail to her work producing digital, website creation and management, and social media engagement for LSM clients and the Families Connected project. Prior to her position at LSM, Kelsey managed marketing and social media for a commercial real estate firm in Santa Rosa, CA and during college, interned for a year at LSM. A graduate of Sonoma State University, Kelsey was named as an All American middle blocker her senior year and coached girls volleyball for three years. She currently is a project manager at an investment banking firm.
Dana Brawer, Director of Production (2013 - 2016)
Though Dana is no longer a member of the SBFC 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!
.
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.