Cristina Maldonado, a veterinarian in Stuart, is passionate about taking care of animals and the local waterways. ANTHONY INSWASTY
The VOCAL VETERINARIAN
Cristina Maldonado, a veterinarian at Monterey Animal Clinic in Stuart, lives her dream job by caring for dogs and cats and doing everything to keep them healthy. The daughter of Dr. Carlos Maldonado, a well-known general surgeon in Stuart, she remembers wanting to work in animal medicine since she was 4 years old.
Charles Williams enjoys the hands-on experience of custom shaping at his Impact Surfboards shop in Fort Pierce. The veteran monster wave rider has been a driving force in the surfing industry on the Treasure Coast since the 1980s. GREG GARDNER
The BIG WAVE RIDER
Between shaping custom surfboards and riding huge waves on six continents, Charles Williams has had a profound impact on the Treasure Coast surfing community.
The second youngest of 12 children, Jonah Martinez spent much of his childhood traveling at sea. He was especially influenced by the ancient Mexican way of life, “how they worshipped what they saw every day. I like to look at the whole picture, know my place and appreciate real life.” ELLEN GILLETTE PHOTOS
The TREASURE HUNTER
Born into a routine life, Jonah Martinez was 10 when his father sold his business in Illinois and commissioned a sailboat to be built in Taiwan. But after a typhoon hit the boatyard, his father had to improvise.
