Ronny Stephens is the publisher of Midtown and 5 West (formerly Cary Living) magazines. He is also partnering in launching Triangle Family magazine. Originally from Havana, Florida, he has lived in Raleigh and Chapel Hill for 40 years. Ronny launched Cary Living in 2003 and Midtown in 2007. Prior to creating Cary Living and Midtown, Ronny published Homes and Land of Raleigh magazine, which he started in 1978. Ronny lives in north Raleigh and has four children. He lives with his son, Matthew, and his chow, Max. Ronny loves his Florida State Seminoles, golf and fishing.

Paige joined the 5 West and Midtown team in January 2023.  Having grown up as a Navy dependent, she enjoyed living and learning in exciting places around the world.  After graduating from Florida State University with degrees in communications, business and Spanish, Paige pursued a career in the pharmaceutical development industry connecting business leaders of high profile pharma companies across the country to further develop their therapeutics. A sales trainer at heart, she is passionate about client care excellence and encouraging and connecting people in their pursuit of success.  Paige and her husband Keith, a committed entrepreneur, have lived in the Cary area since 1999 and are raising 2 competitive and amazing sons.

Sophie Lapierre is a media and lifestyle enthusiast based in Raleigh, NC. A 2022 graduate of The University of North Carolina Wilmington, she joined Midtown and 5 West in February 2024, bringing her passion for art, media, and fashion to one of the Triangle’s premier luxury lifestyle publications. Living in North Hills, Sophie enjoys exploring the area’s vibrant restaurant scene, attending live music and community events, and discovering new experiences throughout the Triangle. Outside of work, she loves traveling and running, always seeking inspiration from the world around her.

Sean joined the Midtown and 5 West team in March 2021. Prior to that, he worked for several regional publications, including Carolina Parent, Artsee and Metro. A graduate of the School of Art and Design at East Carolina University, Sean has worked as an illustrator, graphic designer and marketing manager for major corporations including Fujitsu and IBM. Additionally, he served for years as web art director for Early Design Group, where he oversaw and designed projects in both digital and print for clients in industries as varied as education, real estate development, dining and health care. Sean lives in Raleigh with his four-legged son, Harry. In his free time, Sean writes and illustrates for the children’s market.

Illustration by Sean Byrne

Dathan joined the Midtown and 5 West team in August 2022. Before joining the company, Dathan worked for Triangle Business Journal for over 19 years. At TBJ, Dathan was the publication’s design editor and contributed to writing and photography. As a native Californian, Dathan got his feet wet in advertising design, working for the Merced Sun-Star, Atwater Signal and San Jose Mercury News. Dathan lives in north Raleigh with his wife, Jennifer, and their two rescue felines: Winifred Waffles and TiaMisu. Dathan loves hiking and visiting state parks, and is passionate about collecting wine. He has been to over 100 wineries in the state.

Elizabeth Brignac, editor of Midtown and 5 West, has been a professional writer and editor since 2011. She has written dozens of articles for Midtown and 5 West as well for as many other magazines over the years, taking a special interest in writing about nonprofits, education, outdoor adventures, and small businesses. From 2015-2023, she was senior editor and producer at ChurchNext, an online Episcopal-based education company. Elizabeth enjoys travel, writing fiction, reading, swimming and hiking. She lives in Cary with her family.

Photo by Jenn McKinney Photography

Kyle joined the Midtown and 5 West team in February 2024. Originally from Iowa, she moved to North Carolina with her family in 2017 after living in Northern Virginia for eight years. She attended the University of Iowa and studied English Literature but upon graduating worked as a project manager before taking time to raise her children. In 2019, Kyle started a successful editing business, Literatus Editing & Prose, where she works with self-published authors. In addition, she teaches writing classes through the Town of Cary and presents at local and regional writing conferences. Kyle lives in Cary with her husband, two sons and Labrador, Rosie Cotton. When she isn’t writing, Kyle loves to read fantasy books, play video games, knit and attend sporting events. While always an Iowa Hawkeye, she roots for NC State and is a big Hurricanes fan.

Cindy joined 5 West (formerly Cary Living) in 2005 and helped launch Midtown in 2006 as its first art director. She left full-time work in the office in 2008 to have children, but continued working as the publications’ copy editor from home. In 2018 she rejoined the office staff to fill in with writing and design work as needed, and still serves as copy editor for Midtown and 5 West. Cindy started her college career at UNC’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, then transferred to N.C. State University’s College of Design to earn her degree in graphic design. A North Carolina native, she enjoys baking, reading, hiking and adventuring with her family in their camper. 

Crystal joined Midtown and 5 West as the Social Media and Community Engagement Manager in June of 2024 after serving as the Communications Coordinator since the Fall of 2022. In addition to working as the publications’ social media and community engagement manager, Crystal serves as the event planner for our annual Diamond Awards and as an editorial contributor for Midtown and 5 West. Crystal is a Meredith College Graduate and a Triangle native who enjoys photography, traveling, and spending time with her husband and three boys. She is passionate about the local community and is excited to share new cultural and local events.