KIARRA ROPER

With the picturesque Coral Ridge Country Club golf course to her right and the sun lightly kissing her bare shoulders, Kiarra Roper is at home. The Connecticut native left the cold Northeast and made South Florida her slice of life seven years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Roper has become a fixture in the Fort Lauderdale business and philanthropic scenes, supporting local organizations, companies and charities. She’s also imprinted herself in community efforts, even co-chairing Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale events and committees, in an effort to make her new home a better place than when she arrived. “It’s a small town with all the big-city attractions,” Roper, 29, says smiling. And as the unofficial face of the Coral Ridge Country Club and its official director of marketing and sales, Roper brings with her an appreciation of the club’s steep history while understanding the modern world’s needs. And her love of the organization shows. There are now nearly 820 members (not including their family members, which brings the total closer to 2,600), and the best part about it? Roper remembers each member’s name. – Nila Do